Say Hello to The Galaxy
by Marcus Redfeild
Summary: This story is about an OC named Michael Sanders, who lived as an orphan that had to provide for his little sister. So, what happens when the skills he's learned throughout the years, manages to stop a Batarian Slaver Invasion? He get's a special deal from the Alliance... This is a prequel to Mass Effect 1
1. Frightening Information

**Say Hello to the Galaxy**

**A/N: Hello people of fanfiction! This is my first attempt at writing a story and I have to say, I am excited! (Especially because it's a mass effect story)**

**Alright well, let's get one thing straight. I do not own a lot of the characters in this story, the great company of Bioware made them. Of course there will be a few of them that are mine, but hey.**

**Okay, this story is written in a first person point of view but is not a S.I. The main character (narrator) is just a person I made up for the story; as well as some other characters you'll find.**

**Before we start, I would just like to say: I am only Fifteen, so if you find things that are a bit...**_**Bleh!**_** Don't hesitate to tell me, and I apologize for the cliché moments.**

**As far as the Romance goes, I have an idea on how it's going to go. But if you guys want to make some options, go right ahead. I would appreciate it.**

**(Update!): This was my first time writing a story, so the writing and (or) plot line get's better as the chapters go on :)  
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**Alright, well enjoy!**

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><p><span>Chapter 1- Frightening information<span>

As I hold her, her now soulless body, I begin to think. Why is it that my life always leads to pain and regret? Why does everything have to be this way? Why me? The sound of the gunfire and screaming has become faint as I look into her lifeless eyes. I feel nothing but sorrow and rage grow within me; it grows ever so strongly. I'm done holding back; no more limits. It's time for them to pay...

3 days earlier...

"Are you sure you don't need me to go with you?" my sister asks.

I roll my eyes and assure her, "I'll be fine Lunar, you worry too much. Just stay here and relax for me, okay?"

My sister looked into my eyes; hers filled with worry, and says, "Fine, just promise me you'll be careful, alright?"

I nod as I left the warehouse and Lunar behind.

The year is 2170. I live on a small, border colony in the Attican Traverse called Mindoir. My name is Michael Sanders (born in 2153), and I have a pretty hard life. We lost our mother when I was only seven years old, and it was a really tough time for us. However, the worst was yet to come. A few years after that, our father realized he didn't have what it took to raise us by himself, so he left us; and I've always despised him because of it. I mean, he left me and my sister all alone to fend for ourselves against this big, cruel world we call our home. Looking back at my father, and what he did to us, the only word I can think to describe him with is coward. But it's more than that. He's the root of all our problems. It's because of him that I had to resort to stealing. It was something he forced me to do; how else was my sister going to eat at night? With me stealing for food, clothing, and supplies, everyone began to see us as trash. It ended up getting me some invites to gangs, which I figured would give me a chance to feed Lunar better. However, I knew that joining a gang could ruin her personality. So I refused them.

To be honest, I didn't care how people saw me. But Lunar? She doesn't deserve how people treat her. She is probably the most down to earth person I know; she believes that all life is precious. Something I can't agree with, which makes her a better person than me, I guess. About the only person on Mindoir that's always been nice to us, is a friend of ours named Jane Shepard. Weird last name for a girl right? Yeah I know. But she's a good friend none the less. In fact, sometimes she even gives some food of her own so we don't have to go and steal some later. Anyways, the colony itself is pretty much the same as any other colony, except for the fact that this colony has its own 'Mad' Scientist. I've heard that he's working on an implant that could raise a Humans biotic ability without any side effects, which is a bit odd considering that L3's are already around.

I turned around in broad daylight, and locked the warehouse door. Once I made sure the door was actually locked, I began walking towards my destination. Yesterday, I got a message from Jane telling me to go by her house today. I don't know why, but it's probably nothing serious. The walk to her house was quite uneventful. I got the same hateful and disgusted looks I get every day from the "happy" towns people.

With those last thoughts on my mind, I arrived at Jane's house. I realize right away that she's not on her front porch like she usually is, so I decide to go around and see if she's in her backyard. After I jumped her little backyard wall, I found her sitting on her backdoor patio.

Jane had not yet noticed my presence, so I said, "You know," the abrupt sound of my voice seemed to make her jump, "you could have told me you were going to be back here instead of your front porch." Quietly, I take the seat next to Jane.

"Sorry" she replied with a weak smile "I just have a lot on my mind I guess."

"Yeah, I've noticed" I said back with a grin plastered on my face. "So, what's up?"

"Well, first things first." she hands me a canister filled with food and says "Here, it's last night's dinner. I'm sure Lunar will love it; it's chicken, her favorite."

"Thanks." I say taking the canister from her. "But, what else did you call me out here for?"

"Okay." she says as she takes a breath. "Yesterday, my Father and his associa-" she hesitated. Hmm, something must really be bothering her.

"Jane, is everything alright?" I ask, my voice clearly filled with concern.

She takes a deep breath, shaking her head in the process. "My father and his associate were at his office yesterday and they picked something up on their computers. A few Batarian ships were caught on the satellites that were placed precisely along the outskirts of the planet."

I pause and for a moment to take in the information. Batarian ships? I mean, I know Humans haven't been on great terms with the Batarians ever since we actually joined the galactic community, but as far as I know, we haven't done anything wrong to them. Hmm, maybe Jane will know why? "Why would the Batarians be coming here?"

"I don't know" she replied "My Dad said that he's going to have us leave Mindoir."

Unknowingly, a small gasp of air escaped from my lips. She is the only friend Lunar and I have, if she were to leave, then that would make things even harder on us. But it's not my place to say whether she stay here or not. There was a long silence before I responded to her comment. "When are you... leaving?" I found it difficult to say that last word for some reason.

"Well," she begins "my dad says the Batarians will most likely arrive at around four days so, were leaving in three. I asked my dad if we can take you and Lunar but, he refused just as fast as I asked."

Strange... "You didn't ask to bring any of your other friends?" I asked raising an eyebrow.

"I wanted to," She quietly replied "but then I figured you two would need the evacuation more, seeing as how they have parents and you don't."

Maybe I should feel a bit peeved at that comment but, I'm not. She went out of her way to do this, and of all the people she could have asked to take, she asked for us. I give her a nod and give an appreciative smile. She tries to smile back, but it's filled with a bit of sadness.

"I wish I could do more" she says with a frown on her face.

Noticing this I immediately said "Jane, you have already done so much for me and Lunar that I don't even know how the hell I'm gonna pay you back for everything!" She begins to open her mouth and I interrupt her. "We'll be fine, so don't worry about it." She looks down for a few seconds, then raises her head and gives me a reassured but sad smile. To be honest, I'm lying. I mean, I have no idea how Lunar and I are gonna get out of this mess. But I can't tell her that, she'd end up staying here, and I couldn't let her do that. Besides, warning us about this right now is a better chance than anyone else has... Wait a minute.

"Does anyone else in the colony know what's coming?" I ask.

"I don't think so" She replied "my father said I couldn't tell anyone, no matter how much I protested. He said he didn't want to start a panic. Hell, he even disabled my terminal right after I sent you the message." She opened up her Omni-tool and tried accessing her messaging system, but a big red X appeared instead.

I guess that explains that.

Her face began to sour and her voice dripping of contempt after every word."I hate how selfish my father is being. Everyone on this colony, all my friends, deserve to know what's heading this way, but he doesn't care. Just because of my safety being in jeopardy, he doesn't give a shit about anybody else!"

Before processing whether I should say something or not, I harshly say "Actually, I kind of agree with him." This caused her to look at me in disgust. "I'm just saying, everyone here has always treated Lunar and I like dirt. If you ask me, I'd say they're getting what they deserve."

"And what about you!" she spat back. "You've done so many bad things to the people here, and I understand why you did them, but don't you dare say that these people deserve this, because you deserve it just as much as they do!"

She takes a breath and continues. "All my friends tell me I'm crazy to even be talking to you, because they think you're a lunatic! But I always ignored them because I knew they were wrong." She pauses glaring at me. "You're just a homeless kid who gets a thrill out of stealing from good people."

Offended by Jane's last comment, I stare at her with shock. Is that really what she thinks of me? That I steal from people just because I think its fun? My blood is now boiling from that last statement as I begin to clench my fist. But, I refrain myself. After awhile, I get up from the spot I had claimed from her steps without a word and turn to face her. "If that's really how you feel then I apologize, I shouldn't have said that. And I thank you for everything you've done for me and Lunar. My eyes hit the ground and I continued.

"I appreciate you warning us about this whole thing as well." Her sour expression clearly switched back to sadness at a moment's notice. "If there is anything you want to say before I leave, now is the time to say it." She began to come a bit closer but then hesitated. At this, I look up and stare deeply into those marvelous emerald eyes of hers. "Goodbye Jane."

I break eye contact and turned around to head back to Lunar. But before I begin to walk, Jane stop's me. Her arms are wrapped around my waist now and I realize; Jane is trying to hug me. Smiling a bit, I turn around and returned her embrace, making our hold stronger. We stood there for what felt like an hour until she lifted her head and whispered:"I'm sorry, I didn't mean what I said. I know you always had good intentions when it came to your sister."

Aaww! She does care...

With a smirk on my face, I replied "It still hurt though."

She chuckled a little and rested her chin on my shoulder. Soon after, her voice still at a whisper, she said "Good luck."

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><p>After the little chat I had with Jane, I decided to take a shortcut and head back to the warehouse so Lunar could stop worrying.<p>

Okay, what are we going to do for the day? Jane already took care of food for us so I guess that's covered. Maybe we can cause a little mischief around the colony? Nah, she wouldn't agree to that. What if I help her out with one of her drawings? Yeah, I think that'll do it. She is constantly asking me to do that with her anyway, we might as well start on it today. Now, on to more important matters. The _Invasion_.

The thought sends a chill down my spine, causing me to shiver a little bit. I still can't believe this is going to happen, but I have to get a hold of myself and focus. With the Batarians coming, we're gonna need a safe place to hide until they leave. No doubt they're going to be thorough, so the warehouse is a no-go. A high point possibly? No, that would just make us easier to spot. Out in the woods? ... No, they'd probably send their varren to scout around there. Alright so the only option left is... underground maybe? Like a cave or tavern of some sorts? It's not the best idea, but it's all I've got. Great! Now that that's sorted out, the next topic to think about is supplies.

I don't know how long this thing is gonna last but I'm pretty sure we won't be able to hold out with what we have right now...

I look down to my hands, staring at the canister Jane gave me. I doubt this is gonna last us a whole week, _if_ the invasion turns out be that long. Well, I don't have a problem with stealing from these people. I mean, they are about to lose everything... right? It may be a harsh point of view, but I have no choice. Anyway, I guess that about covers every-

_"Ahem"_

This breaks my thoughts and my eyes point to where the sound came from. Who the hell thinks they can rudely get my attention? ... Okay never mind that thought. But who could it be? I don't know many people enough for them actually 'want' to talk to me. It can't be Jane, she said she was gonna go say bye to a few of her friends. I know it can't be Lunar; she's still inside the warehouse. I wonder who it is then. Only one way to find out I guess.

With this, I turn my body a whole 180 degrees and witness a Giant, a Red-head, and some normal looking guy in a sort of triangle formation. I notice almost immediately that they all have the same insignia on their collars. Oh great, the last people I'd like to see in this damn colony.

_The Cobras._

They may not sound like much, but they can very dangerous. They do things a little differently then how normal groups do them. In fact, they're main tactic is to basically ruin them bit by bit, kind of like bug bites I guess. They actually offered me a spot on their little crew not too long ago. I didn't ask why I had gotten the invite in the first place, because I knew I was going to refuse them anyway. I've heard they only confront a person for two reasons: One, because you're a recruitment possibility or Two, you somehow pissed them off. I already did the first one, so I guess it's the second option. They must not take rejection very well.

"Can I help you with something?" I ask with a sort of frown on my face.

The one on the right shifts a little and says "Actually, it's what you can help yourself with."

I raise an eyebrow at this and give him a confused look. "What do you mean?"

"The boss was a bit disappointed about your answer to his offer." The Red-headed one in the middle said. Strange, you don't see too many people with red hair around these parts. Well... Other than Jane that is.

"So?" I bluntly replied.

"So," he continues "he is willing to offer you a second chance into joining us. Hell, he even said he'd be willing to sweeten the deal."

Sweeten the deal huh? That's actually quite intriguing. If I join them now, than I might be able to use some of _their_ supplies for the Invasion. Or is it too risky? Maybe I shouldn't... Or... I don't know. However, there is one thing that I've been pondering in my head for a while now. Why does the 'Boss' of _The Cobras _want me in his shitty group anyway? As far as I know, He's never sent an invitation twice to the same person. Come to think of it, I don't think he's ever sent an invitation to a minor before either.

I bite my lower lip and say "I'm still just a minor, why the hell does he want me to join his Idiotic crew so badly?"

I can tell I'm beginning to get under their skin, as the giant man on the left grimaces at my last remark. I'm not sure but I think he mumbled _"Punk"_ too. I can't help but smile at that.

The red-head clenches his teeth. I must be getting him pissed off too huh? "From what he told me, he is greatly impressed on how you can manage to take well guarded items with ease. That reason being, because he has seen none of us pull stunts such as the one's you have. Minor or not, he could use someone with your capabilities. And I suggest you say yes to this offer. "

I ignore his threat, or, at least it sounded like a threat, as he doesn't actually scare me. They want me because I'm a quick thinker? That's a bit strange. The last thing I would expect someone to call me is smart. I mean, sure, I got some 'Educational info' from Jane every now and then, but not that much. Besides, there's nothing to it really. You just have to come up with a plan. Anywho, If they think they're gonna have me be one of their Boss' little pets, then they're sadly mistaken.

"And if I say no?" I say as I cross my arms.

He gestures to the two men standing beside him. Then, as if on cue, they begin to crack their knuckles. "Then you will become our enemy."

So, if I say no, they're going to beat me senseless? Damn, talk about a sense of pride. Well, I guess my day is about to become a little more exciting. I uncross my arms and get into a more stable stance.

"You know what?" I ask as I give them a smile. "Out of every pansy ass leader that sent a representative of their group to come talk to me; I have to say, you were probably the kindest one."

He squints his eyes at this comment.

"Thanks for the offer, but," my smile turns into a devilish grin "I refuse." With this, I turn around and immediately begin running as fast as I can! I'm barely able to register the "Get him!" the Red-head orders. Okay, time to think of a way out.

Alright, _thinkthinkthink!_

I can probably lose them if I can find some way to impede their progress. But what? ... Wait a minute. If we keep going in this direction, we'll run right into the Farmers Market. Until then, I guess I'll have to try and do some maneuvering. Alright, Zig-zag formation, here we go!

The Zig-zag seems to have thrown them off because one of them almost tripped. It's working then, good. At this rate, I'll lose them no Tim-

...

Holy Crap!

I almost just lost MY footing! I better stay focused. Otherwise, they'll get me for sure. As I'm running, I feel as if something is holding me back. Then, the thought hits me.

Damn! The food canister is slowing me down! I can see the Farmer's Market from here, but I guess I don't have a choice. I grunt at this unfortunate fact. I'm gonna have to drop it... Hmm. Well, if I'm gonna drop it, I might as well have these _Great_ fellows enjoy some of it. Got to think of others right? This thought causes me to grin immensely. Good, I just need to get to the Farmer's Market first. I begin to speed up and am now sprinting. After I gain quite a distance from them, I Notice I'm only a few meters away from my destination. I stop in my tracks and turn around, opening the canister while I do this. Wow, it's only now that I realize that they weren't so far back after all. Okay, just a little closer...

Now!

I throw the contents of the food canister in a sort of wave like motion. As soon as it splashes on them, I don't even wait two seconds before I turn around and continue my escape. I have to say, that went spectacularly well! I mean, I simply can't believe that worked. This chase is beginning to be better than the ones I get from the marketing owners! My breathing begins to get faster and faster. Ah Crap, I don't think I'll be able to keep running for much longer.

And now they're back to chasing me too. Damn that was fast! I let out a short sigh, "Persistent bastards aren't they?" I mumbled to myself. Oh well, It's back to doing zig-zag's I guess.

I continue the same routine for awhile until I end up running into a dead end. "Shit!" I exclaimed. My body whips around very quickly and I realize, they got me.

"You have nowhere else to run you little twerp!" The giant man yelled with fury.

"Let's hold him down and beat him till' he dies!" The normal guy ferociously said. I think I'll refer to him as the crazy guy from now on.

I hesitantly take a fighting stance, knowing that I have no chance of beating these three by myself. The crazy one comes at me first and throws a powerful looking right hook. On instinct, I immediately go under his arm and manage to strike him in the stomach, causing him to exhale a gust of air. I have no time to marvel at what I had just accomplished as the giant begins charging towards me. I shut my eyes close and flinch at this as I feel the Giant impact himself against me. Next thing I know, I'm on the ground with the big guy pinning my arms down as the lunatic does the same to my legs. I open my eyes to find the Red- head standing above me. He gives me a cold glare as he punches me in the face a few times. Yep! I'm tasting blood now, and my jaw does _not_ feel good!

"I'll tell you what kid," The Red-headed douche bag begins "I'll let you off the hook, if you _beg_ us to forgive you." He has the most devious looking smile I've ever seen in my life.

He wants me to beg! That's like asking me to be a Dog! I stare at him with a glare of my own and give him my answer. My answer being, I spat a bit of blood on his face and grinned back at him. "I'm not your dog!" I replied with a whisper.

He clenches his teeth and wipes the blood off his face. Then, he begins to reach for something in his coat pocket. Oh Crap, that probably isn't good. When his hand slithers out of his coat, he's holding something shiny and sharp. A shock coursed through my body as I laid my eyes on the object. A Knife! I begin to thrash around, trying to break free from their hold, but it's not working. Crap! If I don't do anything he's going to KILL ME! No! Lunar still needs me, I can't die now! Damn it!

"You had your chance kid, but you blew it." He says "I'm gonna enjoy doing this."

NO! I DON'T WANNA DIE. NOT YET!

"GET AWAY!" I screamed as my leg broke free. In a split second, my leg begins to glow a beautiful blue and I kick him in the chest, sending him flying against the wall. As his body comes in contact with the hard surface, I hear a bone crushing crack before a loud ringing comes to my ears. A massive headache follows soon after. The pain is unbearable! All of my movable limbs are free now as the other two men let go. Without a second to waste, I quickly put both hands on my Ears. Because of the ringing, I barely hear what they say.

"He's dead man! Why didn't anyone tell us he was a Biotic!"

"Come on man! Let's get the hell outta here!"

What? I'm... I'm a Biotic? This is crazy... The pain! It hurts so much!

Next thing I know, my eyesight is occupied by an old guy in a white coat wearing glasses.

After that, my mind Blacks out...

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><p><strong>AN: Well, that concludes the first chapter. And with a Cliffhanger too!**

**I hope you guys enjoyed the first chapter because I had a lot of fun writing it :) Oh, and sorry for the gang name; it was all I could come up with on such short notice.**

**Sadly, because exams are coming up, I won't be able to update for a little while. But rest assured, I will still be working on chapter two while testing goes.**

**Anyway, tell me what you guys think and don't be afraid to give me any useful tips because I could really use some!**

**Well, until next time! Laterz!**


	2. A Rude Awakening

**A/N: Hello Ladies and Gentle-species I am back! I hope you guys had a good week, because I sure didn't :( Let's just say that A LOT of stuff happened to me over the past week. But things are better now, so I'm fine.**

**Okay, so were gonna pick up from where we left off on chapter 1 and were gonna have Michael meet someone who, later on, is kind of important to the story. You should find out who he works for when you get down to reading. You guys should find out as soon as you spot the clue. "Muah hahaha!"**

**But on another note, I would just like to say Thank you Penstriker for being the very first person to review this fanfiction. I hope you will stick around for the coming chapters.**

**I guess there's not really much left to say so Enjoy!**

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><p><span>Chapter 2: A Rude Awakening<span>

_The Headache... It was so incredibly__painful... I felt like my head was going to explode from the agonizing feeling! But... I don't feel it anymore; I don't know why, but I'm just glad the feeling is gone. What was it that caused the headache? It seemed to happen after I did, something. Right now, all I see is the empty void of darkness around me. It's actually kinda creepy. Where the hell am I? I look around to see if there is anything out of the ordinary._

_..._

_That's just it. There is absolutely nothing! Not even a single shred of life anywhere! What the hell am I supposed to do here! I guess it gives me a chance to think about things, but I hate being alone! It's so boring! Okay, calm down Michael. If you go crazy now, then that'll be the end of it._

_... Crap! I'm already talking to myself!_

_Whatever! Alright, let me think. Those three Cobra members had caught up with me after I came to a dead end. I tried to fight them off but, they overwhelmed me and then pinned me down. Then, I tasted quite a mouthful of blood while they beat my face in; they asked me to apologize, and I spat in their face. After that, he pulled out a knife and I..._

_The thought finally comes back to me. I'm a Biotic? This is crazy! I thought humans only_ _get biotics if they're exposed to element zero. But, I never did... Is that even possible?__Well, however I got it; it won't matter if I'm still stuck in this place. With this, I get back to thinking about the last thing I saw._

_He pulled out a knife and I frighteningly unleashed a full biotic kick to his chest, causing him to impact the wall with force and snap his spinal cord in the process. That's when the brain-crushing headache came on. Then, some guy in a white coat wearing glasses occupied my vision; and that's when I blacked out. So... does this mean I'm dead? This is what the afterlife is like? Complete and total darkness? Wait, but I thought there was supposed to be some kind of light before you died? This causes me to let out a breath in relief._

_Great, at least I know I'm not dead._

_..._

_Unless I'm in hell. I mean, I did kill someone before I ended up here. All of a sudden, out of the corner of my eye, I spot a white spec of light that seemed like it was a mile away. This is strange; what kind of thing just pops out of nowhere? Well, it is the only thing I've seen since getting here, so I'll take my chances. I turn to face the light and start jogging towards it. You know, I'm finding something very off about this light. Like the fact that it's the only thing here or how it seems like a light at the end of a tunnel. If that's the case, then I should be running away from it no? But for some reason, I don't want to._

_Step by step, I eventually make it to the luminous light. It's much brighter now, but not as big as I thought it would be. It looks like a circle that has the width and length of two arms. I step closer to the strange entity, putting my hand up over my eyes to block out the light. My other hand, carefully reaches out into the light, and... Something grabs it!_

_The abrupt action causes me to jump. But, I don't feel afraid... Is that a... good thing?__I move my hand away from my eyes and look up to see who or what had grabbed a hold of me._

_Huh? But, There is no..._

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><p>I wake up with of gasp of air escaping my lips and find that my vision is blurred. I tried getting up, but my action was then stopped by my temple hitting a hard surface.<p>

"Ow!" I said to myself. "What the hell?"

I blink a few times and wait for my vision to get better. When it does, I find myself in a closed area; like a box I guess. And what I hit my head on was a hard glass that completes the whole thing. What the hell am I doing here? My breathing becomes faster as I begin to panic.

Oh man; I have to get outta here! "Help!" I yelled as I start to bang on the glass. "Somebody help me, please!"

_Ding!_

The glass top begins to open itself until it reaches a point where it makes a 90 degree angle with the box.

Immediately, I grab the open sides of the box and push myself up. Taking short breaths, I quickly search my surroundings. I must be in some kind of lab or something because there are data pads and tech-gizmo's all over the damn place. Other than that, there are holographic models of the skeletal system on the monitors, mainly focusing on the area of the brain; there's also some tech that's connected to the roof and it lies above most of the beds. Capsules, whatever. Only at the last minute do I find that there is a symbol on each piece of equipment. The symbol kind of looks like a side-wards 'C'.

My breathing gets better and I decide to get off the 'Bed'. I lift my left leg to my side and stumble off of the 'Bed'; but just as soon as my foot hits the ground, I slip on something wet. This causes me to get face-planted onto the ground and brings back my massive headache. Almost instantaneously, my hands rush up to my head as the searing pain takes place.

God, this hurts so much! As my hands move around my now throbbing head, I feel a weird mark or, a scar I guess, around the left hemisphere of my skull. What the hell is this? When did I get this on my head? I shift my hand over to where I can see it, so I can check if there's any blood or not.

Nope, nothing but skin. Wait a minute... I'm still laying on the ground aren't I? I get up from the ground and-

...

Why are my shirt and pants covered in... Red stuff? A slight chill runs down my spine. I turn around to look at the spot I had slipped from and find a body laying face down on the ground in a small pool of crimson red. My stomach must not like the sight of this very much because I begin to throw up. After the vomiting ends, I take a step back and hit the ground, landing on my ass. I stare at the body in complete shock. How did this happen? Was he the one who brought me here? Did I cause this? No, Biotics can't do _this_ to someone. Can they? For awhile, my gaze isn't able to leave the spot of his deceased body. So I sit there, unable to answer any of the questions I think of.

Hmm, I feel like I know this man from somewhere. But, I've never seen him before in my life! Unless; is that the guy I saw before I lost consciousness? It sure looks like him- from the back at least. Curiously, I get up off the ground and walk around the pool of Crimson red to his face. I kneel down and put my two fingers on his neck. I can tell he was already dead as soon as I saw him, so I don't know why I did that. I guess I just wanted to make sure? I wait a few seconds trying to feel a heartbeat. Nothing. Of course there's nothing. I shake my head and place one hand on his side, placing my other on his shoulder. Slowly and hesitantly, I rolled him over on his back.

Yep. That's him alright. I frown at the sight of this cold, dead man. I gulp down the second bit of bile that was begging to come out and observe his dead corpse. The glasses he was wearing was now covered in blood. As well is his white coat. My eyesight stays on the coat as I begin to contemplate just how this blood-bath began. It looks like the main source of the blood leakage came from the torso, but how did-?

_**BOOM!**_

HOLY SHIT! WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT!

Every cell in my body quivered to that loud abrupt sound. I turned around instantly to see what it was. It certainly didn't happen in here, so it most likely originated from the outside. But the MPD have never been known to use explosions that are that fucking big. But if that's the case, then that means... My eyes get wider. I quickly get up and storm towards the door. And it's locked.

Crap!

Alright, thinkthinkthink! The Dead Guy! He's gotta have the code to unlock this door! I run back to the corpse and begin searching his pockets. It's at this moment that I realize, his chest his full of bullet holes. If my theory is correct, then that means the Batarians gunned him down, vigorously too. Oh Lunar... After a few minutes of restless searching, I found nothing. Damn it! Okay if he doesn't have it with him, then the code is probably on one of those terminals. Without a moment to waste, I reach the computer and begin too- ...Password? FUCK! Alright. Where else would someone put an unlock code? Drawers? No, don't be stupid. I close my eyes trying to drown out everything around me.

...

"An Omni-tool!" I yell, opening my eyes. Does he even have an Omni-tool? I hope he does, because it's the only hope I've got right now. I rush back to the dead corpse for the second time now and grab his wrist. I tap it, waiting for the orange glow to take away the empty space. Instead, I get jack squat. I let out an unhappy sigh. As another idea crosses my mind, I shakily grab his free hand and tap it on the wrist I've been working on for the past seven seconds. Sure enough, the glow I was waiting for popped up, occupying the empty space. Letting go of his other wrist, I used my now free hand to take his Omni-tool away. It's really tough too; I have to look for a failsafe on his tool's applications to get it completely off his wrist, and it looks like I finally managed to do just that.

I'm holding it in my hands now, marveling over the fact that this is my first time ever holding one. But I don't have time to waste. Without hesitation, I inserted my arm through the open slot. Soon after, this sharp object appeared and injected something into my wrist. It stung a little, but not too much. That must be what makes it "stay with me". When that's done, I open up my _newly obtained_ Omni-tool and begin looking for the Unlock code. I'm scrolling down piles and piles of different documents; I can't believe an Omni-tool can hold this much in it. I keep scrolling down until I see a document labeled: _Locking mechanisms._ I click on it and sure enough, I find the unlock door option. I press on the option with a sigh of gratefulness. At this, the panel that was once red turns into a glow-ish green.

I walk closer to the door and step on something I didn't see before. I look down and move my foot, only to see that I've stepped on a pistol. I pick it up and start moving it around in my hand. I look back to the dead scientist; this must be the doctor's pistol from when the Batarians moved in. If I had to guess; the Batarians caught him by surprise and he tried to fight back. Judging by the dead corpse he left behind, I'd say he was... unsuccessful. I turn my attention back to the gun. I've never used a gun before. But the only other weapon I have is my biotics and I don't know how use them either. So, I guess I have no choice.

I look towards the door and take a deep breath. At this close of a proximity to the door, I can hear the gunfire and cries of agony. Did the Batarians come earlier then when Jane said they'd be? Hmm. I open up my Omni-tool and look at the date. Metyen-16-2070 (yes, a Mindoir month); my mouth drops. Two days? I'VE BEEN ASLEEP FOR TWO DAYS! Crap! If I've been gone for two days, then that means Lunar could be...

No! Lunar's smart! She wouldn't stay at the warehouse; she'd be incredibly dumb to do that. So the only other place she could have gone to would be, Jane's house. I let out a painful sigh as Jane's words echoed through my mind. _"My dad says the Batarians will most likely arrive at around four days so, were leaving in three."_ I guess Jane is still here on Mindoir then... At least she can help Lunar stay alive. Hopefully, I'm not late. I tighten my grip on the pistol with renewed purpose.

I press my hand against the green panel on the door and it flies open.

...

My God...

* * *

><p><strong>AN: And there you go! Chapter 2! I got it out earlier than I expected, to be honest. Testing wasn't that hard so I got some free time. I decided to make this chapter shorter than the last one because I thought it would be better if I just ended it here with a cliff hanger.**

**Oh, and to all the people that figured out who the scientist works for, CONGRATULATIONS! You know your Mass Effect! As for the ones that didn't find out. Don't worry, you'll find out soon enough ;)**

**I just want to say thank you again Penstriker and also a thank you to HanabiHyuuga13 for being my first two reviewers. I really appreciate it! :)**

**Well, until next time. Laterz!**


	3. An Alliance is formed!

**A/N: Hey guys! I'm back with more "Say Hello to The Galaxy", and with a twist on who Michael shall encounter during his quest. If you've played Mass Effect 1 you should know who it is when you meet him. Although, I only found out who he was just recently when I decided to go through a playthrough of Mass Effect 1 as a Spacer. Who knew?**

****Other than that, a few more characters will be introduced and some of them may be one of the main characters in part 2. Yes, if you read my character profile, you will know that I plan on making this a series. So anyway, let's review shall we?****

**So in the previous chapter, Michael had woken up in a strange place and found out that he was asleep for two days. After finding the doctor's cold corpse filled with bullet holes, he came to the conclusion that the Batarians arrived sooner than expected. Now, he has to fight through every Batarian in his way to get to the one's he cares about. Other than that, he got a new toy that has some interesting things on it; some of them may even help him during his fight...? **

**Speaking of fights, I just want to say that this chapter will be my first time trying to create a fight sequence, so please don't judge me if it turns out terrible. I will try my best for you guys though :)**

**On another note, I made this chapter long because the next one WILL conclude Mindoir, so I had a lot of stuff I needed to fit in. I won't spoil anything for you, but judging on how the first few sentences of Chapter 1 went, I think you already know how Mindoir's going to end.**

**Okay enough talking, let's get this show on the road!**

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 3: An Alliance is formed!<span>

Mindoir... my home... It... It looks like the devil literally came out of hell and spat on this place.

Houses have been burned down or are in flames. Bodies are displayed all over the damn place. Some are piled into campfires, there skin already black and decomposed. A few of them are hung, possibly being displayed as a warning to other people. Or, maybe it's just the Batarians being cruel... The remaining bodies are just laying on the ground lifelessly. Damn bastards!

I puked at the time I saw a puddle of blood. But I can keep my insides from acting up now? Maybe it's because I can't see their faces anymore... Rather, I can't tell who they are because of all the... God.

The air is plagued with the sound of gunfire and the cries of agony from the colonists. Death is the only way to describe the scent. I know things just sound terrible out here, but I just can't keep my eyes off of the dead bodies. All these people... They treated me like shit my whole life and I still feel sorry for them? A lump has formed in my throat and something Lunar said to me once pops in my mind; _"No matter how much of an asshole someone can be, They would risk their lives for some stranger. Why? Because deep down, they aren't a bad person... _A sad smile comes across my lips as I think about her comment. But it slowly dissipates as the dead corpses come back into thought. I gulp down the lump that had formed in my throat as hard as I could.

I can't even think about it. I shake my head at this disgusting sight. If things are _this_ bad, I wonder how Jane and Lunar are-

** KA-BOOM!**

The sound of a near by explosion causes me to panic and run towards the closest piece of cover I could find. Even with the explosion still slightly ringing my ear drums, I can here someone... yelling? It's hard to tell with all the damn noise.

"Officer Salmon, what's your status?"

I can't hear what's going on but I did manage to make out a name. Officer Salmon. They must be the MPD. It'd probably be best to avoid them as much as possible. I need to get to Jane and Lunar; these guys would probably just slow me down. I take a glance at my surroundings. I've never been in this part of town before. So maybe asking them for a sense of direction wouldn't be so bad.

"And what of Officer Cromwell?"

I hear the faintest reply of "He didn't make it sir!"

"Damn it!" the voice says to himself. "We need more reinforcements if were heading back to the station!"

Okay, I need their help and the only way for that to happen is if I help them. Besides, this looks like my cue to step-

...

Holy Crap! I think I almost got shot! I look down and it looks my hands are shaking like crazy. Oh man, I don't know if I can do this. I mean what if I... I shake my head at this and rest it on the piece of cover I had claimed for myself. I can't treat this like an everyday routine anymore, the stakes are too high. If I mess up... Jane, Lunar; Were all gonna die... This thought echoes throughout my brain like a blow horn. I take a deep breath, trying to find some way to think in piece with all this conflict.

If I start thinking like that, it'll become true. I grip the handle of the pistol even harder and dismiss this feeling. The shaking hasn't stopped, but it did slow down a little. I'm still scared so I guess that explains why; but I don't care, because I have a job to do. I take another deep breath and slowly peek my head out of cover to take a look at the situation. Damn. The Batarians from this distance look like nasty looking buggers. But, I digress.

It looks like the Batarians have them outnumbered by a long shot! There are: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven of them against two (not including me). I don't know how they're gonna beat those odds; but they sure can't do it alone. Besides, I don't think they're in the position to argue over the fact that we've never been on good terms. When I became 8 years old and started stealing; a lot of the people felt sorry for me and didn't bother with the scolding me part. That is until, I stole almost everything a merchant had with a simple lie, ha ha ha. The guy undoubtedly told them what happened and they took note to be on the look out for me. They managed to catch me one time, but let me go after seeing I was younger than the age of ten. I guess they took it as a-"give him a warning and leave him alone if doesn't try anything else"- kind of thing. I'm pretty sure they did that out of pride or whatever. I did have to give the merchant back his stuff though, or, made him work for it. Good times. But yeah, long story short; they didn't bother me if I didn't bother the other people too much.

Wow! That got off topic. Anyway, it looks like three of the Batarians are inside of one of the buildings firing at them from above, while the other four are on the ground trying to draw them out for the ones in the building.

One of the officers, Salmon I think, opens up her Omni-Tool and sends something orange colored at one of the Batarians.

Oh Crap! That Batarian's on fire! Literally!. Well that's one less to deal with, but how the hell did she do that? I look down to my Omni-Tool wondering if I mine can do the same. I shouldn't worry about it now but, that could be useful. I shift my head looking back at the battlefield. Uh-oh. One of them spotted me. Damn it! It's now or never! Quickly, I rush over to where the officers are, trying to dodge enemy fire by keeping my head down. I slam my back against the cover the _unknown_ officer was staying at. I grabbed my pistol and recollected myself before looking him in the eye. He looks old, in his forties maybe?

"Y-You?" he stutters "You're still alive?" Did he seriously ask me that?

"No, I'm a Ghost!" I sarcastically reply. "Yes, I'm alive dumb ass!"

"Normally I'd probably punch you in the face for saying that, but due to the circumstances;" He glances at his dead comrade and brings his attention back to me "I'll let it slide."

Okay, I guess that means were at a neutral state right now. That was easier than I thought it would be. Hmm, why is he looking at me with a questioning expression...? Oh yeah, I have to say something.

"I need directions!" I say getting straight to the point.

"And I need reinforcements!" He instantly replies with disparity in his voice.

"Well frankly, I don't have the time for this right now! I need to get to my sister before it's too late!" I yell back

"I'll tell you what" he begins "If you help us, we'll personally get you to your sister!"

Wow. Were yelling at each other and it's still difficult for me to hear what he's saying. Good thing I understood that part. Besides, I don't think I have a choice. It would probably be better to stay as a group in a situation like this.

I look down taking a moment to think about his offer, the bullets just whipping by our heads. A few seconds pass and I raise my head; "Alright, but you better not be lying to me!"

"I would never dream of it kid" he mutters as he rolls his eyes "C'mon, lets take these bastards out!"

I nod in agreement and lift my head slightly over our covering position. All of them are more or less in cover, except for one that's out in the open... Idiot. Oh well, I guess he's the obvious choice to take out first. Okay, I'm about to kill someone for the very first time; well, intentionally that is. I get back down and focus my attention to the _unknown_ officer. It looks like he's peppering the Batarians with, Freezing rounds? My gaze fixates on a dark skinned girl, she looks around the age of... 20? That must be officer Salmon. She's just firing at them with some pistol rounds, but she doesn't seem afraid. If she is scared, she's doing a damn good job at hiding it. I turn my head to the direction of the shoot out.

It looks like the Batarian went back into cover but he keeps popping out a lot. Alright, "I can do this!" I silently say to encourage myself. I slowly lift the pistol in front me and look down the sights. The Batarian comes out of cover, which gives me the opportunity to get a clear shot centered around between his four eyes. I take a short breath, then gently squeeze the trigger. The recoil sends my arms back, causing a bit of pain to take it's place. Damn! I didn't think the kickback of this pistol would be that strong! I look back to where I shot my bullet and sure enough, there was the Batarian lying dead on the floor. Yes! I got him! ... Wow. I'm getting happy over the fact that I just killed someone. No, I killed him because I need to survive. Besides, He deserved it. Now, let's who else I should-

...

"Ah, Crap!" I yelled as a sharp sting hits my arm.

I think I just got shot! I got shot in the fucking arm! My hand rubs the spot where the the sting takes place. I get back into cover and take a look at my wound. Oh thank God! The bullet just grazed me. It still stings like hell though. I wonder if my Omni-tool has something that can help that. I open up my tool and scroll down until I find a file named _"Combat Items."_ I click on the file and find quite a few things. It looks like the scientist had some stuff downloaded for a fight. In this file, I found Medi-gel, Overload, something called Incinerate (which must be what Salmon used before), Cryo blast, and... Neural shock? I immediately tap the medi-gel action and let out a sigh as the liquid spreads across my wounded arm. The officers voice brings me back into the fight.

"Hey!" he said "You okay kid?"

"Yeah, I'm fine!" I tell him with a gesture of my arm "I just got hurt, but I'm okay now!"

He brings his mind back to the battlefield and continues firing.

I take a breath and get out of cover, aiming my pistol at the first Batarian I see. The recoil won't affect me now! I squeeze the trigger, the sound of the bullet leaving it's chamber taking place.

What? The bullet just deflected off of him? How the hell did that happen? I crouch down and tap the officers shoulder. "Why did my bullet deflect off of the guy? It's like it didn't even affect him!"

"It's because you have to take out his shields first!" He answers with a groan.

"Shields?" I asked raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah!" he yells "You can take out his shields by using a program called Overload, or, you can just shoot them to death!" He says that last part with a devilish smile. Wait, did he say Overload?

"Overload huh?"

He simply nods and turns away.

I open up my Omni-tool and access the file again. Once it pops open, I activate the program and point it at my targeted foe. Next thing I know, sparks are flying everywhere as he stumbles back from the shock. Wow! That was actually pretty cool! Alright, now's my chance! I aim the pistol at my electrocuted foe and pull the trigger. His body instantly falls to the floor. Yeah, That's right bitch, fuck you! I look around, only to see that one of the two left is completely frozen, while the other is getting burned to death. Cruel, but necessary. I fire my gun in the direction where the piece of frozen Batarian is and it shatters into a million pieces. Great, now the only ones we have left to deal with are the ones up top. On the corner of my eye, I see a disc shaped device enter the building.

**BOOM!**

...

Oh! Never mind. I guess we did it! I have to admit, we work pretty well as a team, if I do say so myself. We all get out of cover and face each other. The two officers stand a few feet away from each other and I'm still in the same spot.

"I think introductions are in order." The unknown officer says. "I'm Sergeant Henry Brannigan- MPD; thanks for your help kid." He offers a handshake.

In response, I just cross my arms and send him a weary glare. If you think were friends, your sadly mistaken.

"You don't have to be scared of us. Were on the same side now." He reassures with a smile.

"I'm not scared of you" I retort back "I just don't trust you yet."

Why would he think I'd trust them? I mean, it's not like they've exactly been helpful for the past ten years of my life. Just because an Armageddon happens, doesn't mean we can forget everything about the past. The second officer comes forward and puts a hand on her chest. Damn she's tall! I mean seriously, she's got to be more than six feet!

"I'm Private Quiyona Salmon- MPD" She greets with a small smile. "You're pretty good in combat. It's nice to meet you." Hmm, she must be new, but doesn't seem to bad though.

I reply with tilt of my head and say "Likewise." I look back to the Sergeant "Now, as for your end of the deal."

"I keep my promises kid, so you have nothing to worry about." He takes a pause "Are you gonna introduce yourself or not?" he asks.

I roll my eyes and shrug. "Michael Sanders. Can we go now?"

Brannigan seems to let out an annoyed sigh, while Salmon just grimaces at my rudeness.

"Of course" He says with a bit of sourness in his voice. "Where are we headed?"

"Jane Shepard's house. Do you know how to get there from here"?

"Sir?" Salmon asks. "I thought we were going to go back to the station to get everyone evacuated?"

I raise my eyebrow at this. "There are still people at the station?"

"Yeah, but the problem is" he pauses and opens up a map on his Omni-tool. "They've blocked off all of the main entrances to the city, so we'll have to find a new way in." He looks to the side, trying to avoid eye contact. "But I don't think there _is_ another way in."

"What!" The dark-skinned private bewilderingly asks. "But my Mom is in there!-"

I sort of just zone them out as they argue so I can think of a way in. If the main roads are blocked then we'll have to rely on stealth. Maybe we can find a sewage lane and go from there? I doubt Miss Salmon would be up for it all that much. I'd have to deal with her complaining about how it smells like shit. I turn to my right and see a field of lush green trees. You'd think the Batarians would have set them on fire by now or something. Oh well, their mistake. ... How about some of the entrances from the woods? I know a few openings that we could use to get in; more specifically, to get closer to Jane's house. According to the lay out of the Sergeant's map, were about 6 miles away from her place. Alright, I know where to go. I just have to be quick about it...

"- I'm not gonna let some stupid ass road block stop me from getting to her!" she finishes.

"Shut the hell up for a second!" I yelled, causing an immediate stop to there bickering. "I know how to get inside, but it might take some time."

"How much time!" she demanded. You really want to try using that tone?

"Don't get an attitude with me!" I exclaimed pointing my finger. "It won't take as much time if we hurry."

She pouts her lips and look at me. "Fine. Where's this 'other way in' of yours?"

"At night, I would sometimes wait out in the woods until the clerks of the stores left. I would do this because they always have a spare key to get inside their store, so I spy on them and see where they put the extra key." Brannigan raises an eyebrow and squints at me a little. I loosen up my shoulders and say "Hey, it worked. Anyway, I created a few entrances along the walls inside of the city to easily navigate and move without anyone spotting me. We can use those to get in.

The Sergeant seems like he's about to say something regarding my comment, but he doesn't. After a few minutes, he shakes his head and asks "Then shall we get going?"

I nod my head in agreement. "Let's."

* * *

><p>We found a trail that led us into the woods and began moving to the North East, based on the old man's map. Which, he sent to me without arguments. So far, it looks like I'm the leader out of the three of us. Works for me. We were walking for about ten minutes until we were attacked by a small Batarian patrol. They weren't that hard to take out actually. After a few shots and some tech commands, they were defeated. I think I'm getting used to this pistol. I also learned how to use my biotics a bit more. I just have to focus, create the power in the shape of how I want it, and channel the energy throughout my body to my arms. Pretty neat actually. And now, here we are.<p>

"You could have told us you were a biotic." The old man said. "It would've helped us a lot."

"I already told you, I just found out recently that I was a biotic. I didn't know how to use any of my powers." I say explaining it to him... For the second time.

"He didn't know what he was capable of sir, so just cut him some slack." she said trying to reason with the old Sergeant.

I look back at her. "Thank you Officer Salmon." She grimaces a little at my appreciative comment.

"Just call me Quiyona." She says with a frown.

"Whatever flies your ship Quiyona" I give a playful smile at that.

**_rustle, rustle, rustle_**

Huh?...

We all quickly take cover behind trees and wait to hear something else. It's kind of hard to capture anything else other than the distant screams from the city. I look over to Quiyona and she nods her head. Oh no, she's going to try to get closer. I beckon her with my hand and shake my head, trying my best to tell her that it's a bad idea without actually talking. She hesitates for a split second, then gets back into cover. I let out a silent breath and look towards the bushes. Wait a minute... Is that... Hair? Batarian's don't have hair. Unless... They're Human!

I blink and bite my lower lip. "Hello? Are you gonna attack us?" This causes me to get crazed looks from Quiyona and Brannigan.

"They're Humans. Two males and One female. Two of them seem to be wearing MPD uniforms. The other one looks like a Civilian. Orders?"

I can tell the three of us are looking pretty dumbfounded right now.

"Bring them back to camp!" a voice finally answers.

"Roger that." With this, about ten guys in armor just come out and surround us with high powered rifles.

I flinch but then regain my posture as I glare at the one in front of me. "Who the hell are you!"

"Were with the Alliance. We're taking you back to camp. The Lieutenant wants to us to bring back any people we can find." He says almost with no emotion.

Find? "Why is he trying to _find_ people? Why doesn't he just go _up there_ and help!" I ask pointing to the burning city.

"He'll answer any questions you have when we get there." He says while keeping the same expression.

I let out a loud groan and say "Fine." As they guide us back to their base camp, Only one thought lingers in my head. 'I cant wait to have a word with this son of a bitch!'

* * *

><p>We reach the Camp in a rather short amount of time. There was barely any conversation during the walk over, so maybe that's why. Anyway, my first glimpse of this place is horrible. There are people from the city here that have some unsightly bad wounds. Some of them lost limbs due to the attack, lost their sense of hearing because of the explosions, or are just brain dead... God, what have the Batarians done? One specific person got my attention more than the others. A little boy; can't be more than five or six years old, has a bandage wrapped around his entire face. He probably got it blown off of him or something; but either way, he's laying down on the floor with who I can only assume to be his parents... In body bags... Damn it... Just, Damn it.<p>

We reach the central operations of the base and are standing outside the door. The one who led us here stands by the door and tilts his head, beckoning for us to go in. The Alliance soldiers go in first. Then, Sergeant Brannigan, Quiyona, and I went in last. The Soldier waiting at the door soon follows. Once were inside, everyone seems to be revolving around a center terminal that shows the outskirts of their compound. The Lieutenant then briefly sets his eyes on the three of us until turning to the Soldier.

"Outstanding job First Sergeant! Good work." He says as the soldier takes a spot next to him.

Humph, at least I know his rank now. Better than nothing I guess.

"Officer Brannigan," he says looking straight at him. "Congrats on getting these two out alive; it's not an easy task." He thinks it was him that got the three of us here? Well it makes sense, seeing as how he's the oldest, but still!

Brannigan lifts his hand and says "Actually Lieutenant..."

"Zabaleta." He answers.

"Lieutenant Zabaleta," He restarts "It wasn't me who got us out of the city; hell, we're finding are way back into it! But the one who got us out of there was him." He finishes this by pointing at me.

All of the soldiers seem to chuckle a little at that. I'm not sure why they find it so funny though. Quiyona then speaks up. "It's true! If it wasn't for him we'd be dead or still trying to find a way out!" The laughter dies down and is now replaced with silence and a lot of raised eyebrows.

The Lieutenant takes a long look at me and rubs his chin. He looks back to Brannigan; "Sergeant, do you honestly expect me to believe that this," he tilts his head in my direction "'kid', is the reason why you three are still standing?" Well, yes, I mean, It is the damn truth.

"Yes sir." The old Sergeant replies. Hmm. He could have easily taken the credit for it, but instead, he's giving it to me. I wonder why?

The Lieutenant takes a sharp inhale and stays focused on the old man. "If this 'kid' is the one who took command of both of you, _two_ officers." Man, this guy is really pissing me off! "Then Sergeant, you are the most Pathetic Officer I've ever met." Did he seriously just-? Oh hell no! I rush forward punch my fist straight down on the terminal.

I pull out my scariest looking glare and stare at him with it. "You, Hypocritical, Piece of Shit!" I exclaim. "You want to call him pathetic! Look in the mirror! Because from what I've seen, you're a sad, pathetic excuse of a Leader!"

"Does it honestly look like I give crap about what you think?" He asks not even fazed by what I just said.

"Well you should!" I yell. "Have you gone out this damn room lately? There are people in your camp that need a leader to care for them!" I point to the direction of where city is."People up there are _DYING_ by the minutes, and you just stay in this Fucking place!" I pause a little and think about what to say next. "You guys are Alliance. You're supposed to help people. But what does it say about you if your not doing a _damn_ thing about it?"

Everyone in the room is looking at me with a stunned look on their faces. Probably thinking about what I said. Since no one decides to talk, I keep going. "Do what you want; but don't sit here and think your helping these people in their time of need! And don't ever call this man pathetic again." I said those last two words as if my tongue was made of venom. "I'm getting back into the city, _with_ my two associates. Whoever wants to come along is allowed." With this, I turn on my heel and make way for the door.

"Wait!"

I turn around and glare at Zabaleta with look of contempt. "What!"

"We can't get into the city because all of our known routes are blocked. But earlier, you said you were finding your way back in." he explains.

"Yeah, what of it?" I reply

"Have you found a way to get back inside yet?" he asks, in a bit more of a helpless way.

I look at him with a squint of my eyes. "I found four." Everyone, even the two Officers are looking at me with a shocked expression. Hmm, maybe I could use this to my advantage... Maybe, I can get them to work with me? "Of course, I'd be willing to help make a plan if you do a favor for me."

This time, he glares at me. "What kind of favor?"

"I'm going back into the city for one purpose and for one purpose only. To get my sister and my friend Jane Shepard out of this hell hole alive! But I might need some help doing it." I say, giving him a bit of a hint at the end.

He nods his head and extends his arm. "Deal." I guess it would be good idea if I accept _this_ handshake. So, I extend my arm as well and firmly shake his hand. After that, I go up to the terminal and put my hands on top of the screen.

"Alright," I say "Here's the plan.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Wow! That was a long chapter! The longest one I've written so far. This is also the earliest I've ever updated. Not even a week and I bring you chapter 3. But remember, that's all thanks to you guys for inspiring me to write. I lover your comments and I hope you stick around for more.**

**Anyway, things are starting to heat up on Mindoir now eh? The Batarians are raging hell on the streets while the Alliance just does nothing. But now that Michael's arrived, the climax of the battle is about to begin. The next chapter will basically show the leadership capabilities that Michael has and just how much of a Smarty-pants he can be. So yeah, the next chapter will be pretty epic!**

**But on another note, if you guys are fans of an anime show called D-Gray Man (sorry if I misspelled it), then read "New Exorcist" by HanabiHyuuga13. It's actually not to bad.**

**Okay, please review, comment, favorite or alert this story. Just read it too, you know, that's also fine.**

**Well, until next time. Laterz! **


	4. Getting Ready for War

**A/N: Hello again everyone! Sorry I haven't updated lately. Because of my E.O.C exams coming, I've had to study more than I ever have before! But, that's the past now. On to more important matters...**

**I have to apologize to you guys because, sadly, I lied. I decided to split the end of Mindoir into two parts because if I hadn't, the chapter would've been LOOOONG! And I got a complaint from one of my reviewers saying that the last chapter was too long. So, I'm just to going have this chapter explain the upcoming mission, and have some character development. I'll do more later though, so don't worry. **

**Before we start though, I just wanna say something so were all clear. Shepard is 16, Michael is 17, and Lunar is 14. I wanted to make that clear because some people got a little confused.**

**Alright, enough with the talking! Let's start this up!**

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><p><span>Chapter 4:<span> Getting Ready for War**  
><strong>

"Alright" I say as I walk to the center terminal. "Here's the plan." I look over to the old officer. "Sergeant Brannigan, I don't know how to do it, so bring up your map of the colony, on to this terminal."

He nods and walks over to the terminal, opening his Omni-tool in the process. He taps a few things and a few beeps later, the map displays over the entire area.

"Okay, first things first." I turn over to the Lieutenant "What is your main objective?"

He crosses his arms. "We have two objectives. One is to evacuate every civilian we can. The second is to take out the radio tower."

The Sergeant grimaces at that last sentence. "Why would you wanna do that?"

"Probably because the Batarians are using it for their comm systems." I say answering it for the Lieutenant.

"Exactly." He says eyeing me. Is he surprised or something? The Sergeant nods his head in response.

"Okay," I begin, trying to get back to the subject. "Just answer a few more of my questions and I'll explain how everything's gonna go. And don't lie to me either, because every amount of information is crucial if were going to have any chance at doing this." I give him a light glare, as to which he just tilts his head in response. Okay, here goes nothing. "How many shuttles do you have and around how many men?"

He raises an eyebrow. "At this camp, we have around 25 Marines but the Master Gunnery Sergeant and his team are still on patrol." He turns to his First Sergeant. "First Sergeant Thomas, radio him and tell him to get his ass back here!" So that's his name! He salutes and leaves the room, opening his omni-tool while doing it. "As for shuttles, we have... five."

Great, then I know how this gonna work. I smirk appears on my lips as I hear those last words. "Good, so here's how it's gonna go." I open up my omni-tool to manipulate the map. "I'll start out with the basics." I pinpoint the locations of the radio tower, police station, Jane's house, and one of the entrances. "Three of the locations I've marked here are our main objective points. The other, is one of the entrances I mentioned earlier."

The Lieutenant speaks up. "That's on the far side of town; away from everything! Why would we need to go there?"

"_Because_ it's away from everything." I say smiling with an evil grin. "That's what's gonna make everything possible." This causes a few people to give me questioning glances. "Just listen, dumb-asses!" The confused soldiers dismissed their feelings. "Okay, the Batarians are scattered all around Mindoir; so it would be a bit of a pain if they stopped us from meeting are objectives so quickly. So, we need a diversion." I look at the Lieutenant and point to him. "That's where you and at least 20 people from your unit come in." He gives a hesitant nod. "Once you create the diversion, which would preferably be an explosion of some sort; the Batarians are going to come at you in full force!"

Everyone in the room except the two officers, flinch a tiny bit at this. "That's a helluva gamble!" The Lieutenant exclaims. "Why can't I bring more men? I mean, the Batarians have some shockingly great defenses."

A glare forms on my face. "If you shut the fuck up I can tell you!"

They all seem to be getting pretty pissed off with me as they look to their commanding officer, waiting for orders. He raises his hand and says "Proceed." Right after he says this the door behind me whooshes open as more soldiers walk in, including First Sergeant Thomas. Him and another soldier took a spot between the Lieutenant. That other person must be the Master Gunnery Sergeant. "Master Gunnery Sergeant Gomez, glad you could join us!"

He simply nods and turns over to me. "Who's this?" Aah! More introductions! We don't have a lot time here you know!

Zabaleta responds "This is the young man that's helping us plan our attack, which is why I had the First Sergeant bring you back to camp." The New soldier looks a little perplexed and just doesn't say anything else.

I let out a deep sigh and say "My name is Michael Sanders; now if there aren't anymore questions, I'd like to continue." I said the last part with annoyance clearly evident in my voice. The new soldier grimaces, but I just ignore it. "Now as I was saying, your team is going to cause an explosion or anything you can do to get their attention. When you do, they're gonna come at you in full force."

The Lieutenant releases a breath and massages his temples.

"That's where the shadow teams come in." Everyone stays quiet, waiting for me to say more. I highlight our main objectives on the map. "There will be three shadow teams in all; each with different goals. The first shadow team will be going to the police station to liberate all the civilians that are present there." I point to the Sergeant. "Which will be accompanied by Sergeant Brannigan over here, and it will be lead by your First Sergeant." Off the corner of my eye, I see him give me a distinguishable nod. "The second team is going to take care of the radio tower. That team will be lead by Master Gunnery Sergeant Gomez." I pause for a second to catch my breath and continue. "The last shadow team is going with me to get my friends."

"Who's leading the third team?" someone asks.

Well that's obvious. "I am." Some of the soldiers seem to disagree with this. But I don't care. Either way, the Lieutenant stops them.

"That's enough!" He looks at me. "You expect me to put _my_ men under _your_ command?"

Quiyona walks up a to the terminal. "Why not? He was the one brought us here and he came up with this well thought out plan in a matter of minutes. If those aren't signs of a good leader, then I don't know what is." Hmm, I guess Quiyona has a point. I may not have noticed it, but I was being a team leader ever since I found them. Zabaleta looks down and begins contemplating this. If he doesn't say yes to this, I'm going to be _really_ pissed.

He raises his head. "Alright then, but only because the situation calls for it. What's next?" he asks.

"Once we all complete our assignments, each team leader will call in for a shuttle. Especially the first shadow team." The first Sergeant nods. "Now, a note for the second shadow team; after you take out the radio tower, it's going to disable all of the batarians comm links, but it's also going to disable ours. So in order to prevent that from happening, we're going to switch our comm's to an emergency frequency. Any more questions?"

Silence fills the air.

"Good." My attention goes to the Lieutenant. "Your team is the part of this operation that everything else depends on. We have ten minutes to get ready and introduced. Also, I want something that can give me some shields-_without_ having to wear armor. Assign whoever goes with who and tell the ones that are going with me, to meet me at the center of the refugee camp." I ordered as I turn on my heel and walk. Oh wait! "All team leaders, download the map on the terminal so you know where your going." As soon as I finish saying this, three omni-tools open and a *beep* takes its place. "Alright. Time for Operation: Get them the Hell outta there!"

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><p>Around five minutes have passed and I'm still at the center of the camp. Two soldiers came my way and gave me some supplies. Basically, everything I asked for. They gave me a harness attached with a shield generator. It comes with a holster for my pistol that's located right under my arm pit; it also has a few slots for me to put in heat sinks. That'll come in handy! They also gave me a communicator-smaller than the size of my thumb-to keep in contact. Now, The two soldiers are introducing themselves.<p>

The first one is wearing a helmet that completes his suit. He has a glowing object attached to his chest and also has sniper on his back.

"Staff Sergeant Richard Gavin, Sir!" He salutes with pride. "I'm your teams Marksman and stealth observer. I just wanna say that I respect you for your quick thinking and sense of pride." Oh good... A kiss-ass.

"Thank you." I say dismissing him. The second soldier comes forward. This one look's like he's wearing lighter armor than the other one is. He has a utility belt strapped around his waist and has a bag with the symbol of a red cross placed right above his butt.

He places both hands behind his back. "Corporal Brandon Pierce, Sir! I've been assigned as your Corpsmen and Engineering technician."

"Good to know. You two ready?" I ask.

"Yes sir!"

"Looking forward to the action."

I tilt me head and look in a different direction. Said direction is occupied by a tall, dark skinned girl coming towards me. Oh, Quiyona! -Wait. Why did they call me "sir" earlier? I guess it's because I'm their team leader. Quiyona stops when she gets about five feet away from me.

"You didn't specify where _I_ would go during all of this." She says waving her arms.

"Well, I wanted you to come with me. Mainly because I trust you more than I trust these guys." My hands gesture over to the two soldiers. "But I understand if you want to go with Brannigan to get your Mom."

She stand silently for a few seconds before answering. "I want to find my mom. But, you seem like you need one more person on your team." So does that mean-? "So, I'm gonna go with you." Great! At least I'll have one person I've worked with before. "Just give me a chance to talk to the Sergeant." She requests. I nod in approval and she walks away.

Okay, let's review.

I've escaped the slaughter lab with some new toys and met up with two Mindoir officers. We took down a few Batarian patrol's and found a refugee camp made by the Systems Alliance. The camp is filled with injured people, with nowhere else to go. Then I came up with a plan for us to get the colonists out of the city. Now, I'm the team leader of a squad that's about to go to combat. Terrific... Oh! Maybe the Corporal can set up a link with Jane's omni-tool.

"Corporal, can you connect to a specific omni-tool for me?" I ask

"Yes sir." He opens his omni-tool and presses a few things. "Who would you like to speak with?"

"A friend of mine named Jane Shepard. She's the one were going to rescue." I answer

"Very well," he says. "Just give me a moment." Him and the Staff Sergeant walk away. Now, I'm left alone.

"So, we were never properly introduced." Oh! never mind! I turn around to see where the words came from. Hmm, it's the Master Gunnery Sergeant.

"Riiight." I reply. "Can I help you?"

"I just wanted to introduce myself if I'm putting two of my men under your command; and yes, they were a part of my squad when we were patrolling the perimeter." He says. "I'm Master Gunnery Sergeant Gomez, as you must already know. I was very impressed on how you thought of a plan like this in less than ten minutes. All of us were." I don't say anything, so he continues. "After that and the MPD officers' statements, I realized that my men would be in safe hands with you; because those qualities, are the ones that make a good leader." He gives a salute.

...

Eh! Why the hell not! I try giving a salute back and he chuckles at my failure. "Michael Sanders. I won't promise anything, but I _will_ try to bring them back alive." He nods and turns on his heel. "And hey!" he turns back around. "Thanks!" I say with a tilt of my head. He gives a second nod and then leaves. I guess the Alliance isn't so bad after all...

"Sir!" The Corporal's voice breaks my thoughts. "I've established a connection! I'm sending it to your omni-tool."

Oh thank God! This is it... Please be okay... My omni-tool begins blinking and I quickly tap the illuminated spot. A screen pops up and I'm taken by the winded face of Jane. She looks okay... more or less.

"Michael! Michael is that you? Your alive!" She exclaims with a hint of happiness.

The biggest grin I can create forms on my face. "Yeah, and I'm incredibly happy that you're okay too. Is Lunar with you?" Come on, come on, please be there...

A dirty face with blonde hair and brown eyes suddenly pops out from under the screen. "Big brother? Michael?" A smile gets plastered on her face as tears begin to fill her eyes. But the smile soon gets replaced with a frown. "You lied to me! You said you were going to be back as soon as you were done talking to Jane." Oh dear... "Do you have any idea how scared I was for you? I ended up going to Jane's house, waiting for you to show up."

"I know, I'm sorry for that Lunar. But I'm here now, and I'm coming to get you two. Who else is there with you?" I ask.

Lunar steps out of view and Jane speaks up. "A few of my friends and their families are here, as well as my father." She looks down with shame. "Some of the others... didn't make it." I know what you mean Jane. I've seen more horrors today then anyone my age should.

"You couldn't have done anything to save them Jane, you did the best you could. As for the others; I've got the help of the Alliance and were coming to get you, so stay put!"

"You got the Alliance to help you!" She asks. I can tell she's a little flabbergasted.

"Yes, but that's not important right now. I need you get everyone onto the back of your house and either hide in the fields or in the farmhouse." She gives a distinct nod. "And try to ignore as many Batarian patrols as you can; it would be best not to draw any attention. Oh, and stay on this radio frequency so we can keep in contact." I finish explaining and she releases a breath.

"Okay... I'll take care of Lunar for you until you get here, I promise." She says with purpose.

"Thanks, I appreciate it." What's this feeling I have? I feel like I have to say something else to her... This feeling... kind of feels good. She begins to press something on her omni-tool. Oh crap! "Jane, wait!" she stops and looks back at the screen. Damn. The lump in my throat has come back. My voice feels weak... "Be safe..." I manage to finally say.

She looks back at me with those amazing eyes hers. Her eyes look like they have a certain glow to them. Maybe it's from the tears? "You too, Michael..." And with this, she clicks something and turns off her  
>omni-tool.<p>

I almost didn't think they were alive. I mean, I've been gone for two days without even knowing _this_ was going on and they managed to survive. I knew they would've! They both have a certain fire in them that keeps them from dying. I've seen it more than a few times, so I know what I'm talking about. But, there is one thing I can't seem to stop thinking about. That feeling I had with Jane... What the hell was that? It felt... weird, but also pleasant. Oh well. I shouldn't be worrying about it now. I have to stay focused.

The sound of footsteps begin to get louder as they get closer behind me. I turn around to see it's Quiyona. "Alright, it's official; I'm coming with you."

"Great!" I reply with a nod.

"Oh, and the First Sergeant would like to see you. He said he'd show you how to get the harness on you." She explains.

I let out a sigh."I guess I'd better go than." I open my omni-tool and check the time. Hmm. "Were heading out in four minutes, so get all the supplies you need and I'll meet you three back here." The three of them nod in unison. "Until I come back, get to know each other. We'll be walking into hell soon, so it'd be a good idea to get to know who's covering your asses!" The three of them smile at my comment and I walk off to meet with the First Sergeant. I just hope he'll actually talk to me.

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><p>Oh, there he is! I guess he wasn't that far away. Well, that's better for me, seeing as how I don't have to do that much walking. He's standing around 20 meters away from his men, tampering with his assault rifle, waiting for me to meet up with him. I get there pretty quickly and rub my dark colored hair as he notices me. Okay, let's see how this goes.<p>

"Sanders, glad you came." He said.

"Well, I kind of don't know how to put this thing on, or how it works. So I needed the help."

He rolls his eyes. "Riiight. Now, let me see your harness." he commands. I extend my arm and give it to him as he finishes tampering with his rifle and holsters it on his back. He takes it and moves it around a little until I find two opening's to put your arms through and some kind of blue sphere that can connect with a buckle. He looks at me and says "Alright, put your arms through these openings." I do as he asks and get it settled on to my shoulders.

"Now what?" I ask

He gets a hold of the blue sphere looking thing and also the buckle. In a second, he connects the two and they make a 'clink' sound. I guess that means it's secured? He looks up to me and smiles a little bit. "How's it fit?" he asks. You know, I have to say, this thing is really comfortable! Not only is it comfortable, but it's also made for combat! This will really benefit me in case I get shot at. I take the pistol out of my pocket and put it inside its holster.

"I like it!" I give him a slight smile to say thanks. He looks at me with a questioning glance; is there something he wants to talk to me about? I raise my eyebrow and cross my arms. "I take it there's something else you wish to discuss with me?"

He puts his two hands behind his back and gives a nod. "Yes actually. I wanted know how-don't take this in an offensive way-but how did someone like _you_ learn how to do something like _this _with no leadership experience at all? I know Marines who have been a leader their entire military careers who don't know how to come up with a plan this big, in less than five minutes. I just don't see how a civilian-let alone a minor-can learn how to do that."

Hmm, I guess that's a good point. Not like it's any of his business though. "It's a long story, but let's just say I've had a lot of experience." He squints his eyes a little. *sigh* "Everyday of my life, I've always had to come up with a plan to survive. Like I said; I've had a lot of practice." I release my arms from its crossing and keep eye contact.

His eyes go back to normal. "Well then, I look forward to seeing how this mission goes." he comes closer and presses the blue sphere that's now placed on my chest, and it begins to glow. It kind of looks beautiful. "Good luck with your squad."

"You too." I reply and walk off.

That went better than I expected. I thought he wasn't even going to speak, but I guess he proved me wrong. Of course, He doesn't trust me yet. But I respect him for that, because I wouldn't either if I was in his shoes. Alright, no more waiting. Time to get back with my squad and start this.

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><p>I get to my squad in a rather short amount of time and see that they're getting situated with each other. Good. That's exactly what I asked them to do. When I arrive, they turn their attention to me and give either a nod or a tilt of their head.<p>

_Ding!_

Was that my omni-tool?

I look down and see that my omni-tool is blinking. I click it open and a big alert sign takes its place, saying: "All Marines and personnel report to their designated stations for Operation: Mindoir!"

Well I guess this it... I look to my comrades and see that they're... nervous, more or less. I can't blame them. Hell! I'm nervous! But I can't let them know that. There's got to be some way to boost there morale up. I turn to face them.

"I know your all dreading this a little bit, I can see that. When we get in there, the Batarians will be ruthless; they won't give a damn if we have good intentions or not. I'm not gonna lie to you guys, they won't waste a second of thinking about whether to kill us or not. From what I've seen, they do not hesitate! They're really strong..." They all seem to get worried faces. "But we're stronger." They continue listening as I continue. "If we all stick together, they will _never_ take us down! Because we are a team and that's what makes us strong!" Their expressions brighten a bit more. "In this battle, we are fighting for the ones that have lost and for the ones that need our help! Together, we will hit the Batarians harder than ever before!" Now they're cheering a little. I guess that got their confidence up. "Let's show them what happens when you hit _our_ colonies!"

And with that, we walk off to our designated exit point and wait until the gates open up.

Okay... This is it. Let's hope this goes well, because if it doesn't; then we're all screwed. No! I have to believe that this plan will work. I take a deep breath and then exhale.

Jane, Lunar, hang in there. Because I'm coming for you, even if it kills me!

The gates begin to open as we all get our weapons ready. After that, we check our omni-tools for good measure, and walk out...

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><p><strong>AN: I finally finished it! It's not as long as my 3rd chapter, but it's still pretty long. But yeah, the next chapter will, most likely, conclude Mindoir. I promise! But the next Chapter IS going to be the biggest one yet; so please tell me if you guys prefer my chapters being shorter. Because if you do; then you'll be happy knowing the few chapters after Mindoir will be shorter than usual. **

**Also, I may not be updating for a little while, due to the fact that the E.O.C. is around the corner and I need to prepare. But I'll write what I can.**

**But anyway, a few shout outs to a story before I go. One of the fanfic's you should checkout is called "Mass Effect: The Hunt" by CallsignReaper01. The story is a SI and it's pretty good. I recommend it to all of you!**

**Anyway, Review if you can and I hope you enjoyed this chapter.**

**Well, until next time. Laterz!**


	5. Desperate Times

**A/N: Hello folks! It was my birthday a few days ago, Hooray! Why did I say that? I have no fricken idea! ... Never mind. Okay, as I promised you guys, this will end Mindoir's point of the story... at least for now. I hope you guys enjoyed chapter 4 because this one is going to have much more action and strategical tactics.**

**I don't have a lot more to say, so I guess I'll just say what needs to be said. Once this is over, the actual story will begin. I'd like to think of this as like a prologue; so yeah, there's much more in store for Michael in the coming years (story time). Maybe he'll meet a certain Turian while helping out C-Sec? But that's later.**

**Now I warn you, I posted this chapter without reading it, but I did spell check it. If you find anything that might be out of place, I'll change it later.**

**Anyways, I'm gonna shut the hell up and leave you to it.**

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><p><span>Chapter 5: Desperate Times<span>

After the gates opened, everyone went out to their separate destinations. We all did a comm check to make sure we were all (including Jane) on the same frequency. Everybody was connected on the emergency line, and we all started moving out. Jane said she had gotten all the families inside her farmhouse, and asked anyone that wanted to keep watch- including herself- to go out and stay hidden on the crops field. She said Lunar was among them... I don't exactly agree with that; but I guess we don't exactly have much of a choice.

I open up my omni-tool and bring out my map with a holographic projection; so that my squad mates can get a good look at it as well. They all gather around hologram and wait for me to speak. "Here's where are now," I point to the highlighted circle. "And this is where we're headed. My omni-tool states that it's about a mile away; not too far. It gives the distraction team a chance to set up, and for the second shadow team to reach the radio tower." I look at all of them now. "Let's head to our opening and wait for the distraction to take place." They all nod. "Okay then, let's move out!"

I bring out my pistol from its holster and grip it tightly. "I'll take point," I'm the only one who actually knows where we're going so, yeah. "Quiyona, I want you to follow behind me; Pierce, I need you to be in front of Gavin because if he goes down, I need you to get him back into shape, and yes Gavin, you're going to be on our six." I explain.

Gavin raises his eyebrow. "Is there a reason why sir?"

"Yes," I reply quickly. "Because you're our Marksman, I need you to keep an eye out for everything. And I mean, _everything!_"

He gives and understanding nod and pops a heat sink in his rifle. I then focus my attention on the corporal. "Pierce, not only are you our medic, but-"

"Corpsmen." He corrects.

I take a small breath and restart with some annoyance. "Corpsmen... but you're also our tech engineer. So, with that at hand; if we split up, you're coming with me." He gives me a nod along with a big grin. Smart ass. Alright then, we all know what we're doing; let's get going. I give a gesture with my hand, saying "time to go."

We take our positions and form a three meter spread. Then we begin walking. Here goes nothing!

* * *

><p>We've been walking in the same formation for about five minutes with no contact from the Batarians, <em>yet<em>. So, with all the silence being visible in the air, my officer comrade decides to break the ice.

"So what's this girl mean to you anyway?" she asks. Is she being serious?

"She _is_ my sister you know?" I reply with a little humor in my voice.

She rolls her eyes and gives a small chuckle. "Not her dumb ass; I mean that Shepard girl." Ooh, that makes more sense.

Hmm. "She did a lot for me in the past. She was the first, and the _only_ friend I have. I trust her completely." I answer with pride.

She pauses for a second, checking her line of fire while doing so. After observing a little bit, she looks back at me and smiles "Are you sure it's not because you like her?" What!

I quickly glance back at her. "What exactly are you implying?" My cheeks feel a little warm right now. "I don't think of her in _that_ _way_."

"Sure doesn't seem like it." Must she insist on aggravating me? Her smile goes down a little and asks "She means a lot to you huh? Because, I don't know anyone that would put this much at stake, just to save a friend."

Well, she does have a point. "Yeah... yeah I guess so." I smile faintly so no one can see.

"Don't worry, we'll get her and your sister outta here-"

...

"I'm getting movement off the heat detector! It looks like a patrol!" The corporal informs us.

"Scatter and get behind a tree!" I ordered. We all get behind a tree that's closest to us and wait for them to pass. I look at the staff sergeant. "What can you see?"

He raises his finger and looks through the scope. "Looks like five Batarians and two varren trackers." He swears under his breath. Damn, is right. "Those varren are gonna be a problem; they'll be able to sniff us out no matter where we hide."

Ah crap! This may be... problematic. I don't think there's a way of getting out of this the easy way. "Then we don't have a choice. Everyone get ready for a fight. Gavin, I want you to stay down and take out the varren, _silently_. The faster we get Pierce, Quiyona; I need you to hit the Batarians with an overload to take out their shields. After that, I'll hit them with my biotics all at once." I just hope I can actually do that... They nod and prepare themselves. "On my mark. 3... 2... 1... Now!"

Right on cue, both of the varren become headless and the Batarians are shocked by the sudden action. Good, just we were going for. They have no time to react though, as they get stumbling back from a burst of electricity.

Damn! It still looks bad-ass! Okay, here we go... Now's my chance... I take a deep breath and drown out everything in a millisecond. I have to focus my energy into how I want it. I begin to feel the presence of power surging through my body. Alright, now to channel that energy into my hands. I open my eyes and quickly glance down to see that my entire body has become engulfed in a blue like color. The sound of a gunshot takes place and I realize that my team is firing upon them. Better not keep them waiting then!

I exhale the breath I've been holding and create the energy into a dark, spherical-ball. Without hesitation, I throw it at the group of aliens, making it hit just above their heads. The dark sphere then opens up a new form of its energy, creating a sort of gravitational pull as it brings the Batarians up in the air and circling around it. This leaves them defenseless. I open up my comm. "Take them out!"

A series of shots then takes place, which causes the Batarians to be orbiting around, lifelessly. Good riddance. We all stay hidden until the Staff Sergeant can confirm that it's clear for us to move on.

"We're clear!" he finally says.

We all group together again, but before I could speak up, the corporal decides to comment. "Well, that went rather well." I raise my eyebrow at him. "I being completely serious, that didn't even last us a good three minutes." He smiles immensely at that last comment. I think I just got a complement.

"I agree," The Staff Sergeant... agrees. "We handled that pretty well."

"I think so too." says Quiyona, trying to chip in.

"I guess so." I give a little smile for the sake of the outcome of the short "battle". "But it also means that we have to be more careful and aware."

Gavin nods at this. "Right! We're gonna have to be more alert; there could be more Batarian scouts around here."

"Exactly." Screw the original formation! "We need to get to the entrance as quick as possible! I want a lined perimeter so that we can just sweep across!" I point to the designated locations. "Gavin, I want you to scout ahead, tell us if you see anything or not." he nods and shoulders his rifle. "We're gonna have a five meter spread. Keep a watch on your surroundings, and if you see anything moving; take it out! Am I clear?" I make my voice sound a bit more demanding on those last few words. I get some form of acknowledgment from everybody and we get to our positions while our Marksman takes his point. "And guys!" they all stop and face me. "Good work."

They reply with different gestures and we get into formation. You know I gotta say, I was a bit wary about working with people from the Alliance, hell! About working with people at all! But, we work pretty well together. In fact... I could get used to this.

* * *

><p>It didn't take long for the Staff Sergeant to reach our entry point, and with no contact to report. Good; we'll need the people. I asked the sharpshooter to hold the position and to watch his ass until we got there. Which didn't take very long. Anyway, with all of us regrouped, we just have to hold down the fort (as usual) and wait for-<p>

Before I can finish my inside monologue, my radio comes to life. "All shadow teams report! This is Lieutenant Zabaleta; we've reached our point and have everything set up. Now we're just waiting on you three."

I put a finger on my earpiece. "Zabaleta, this is shadow team three. We've reached our point of entry and are currently waiting for your distraction."

"Good to hear your still alive and in one piece." A happy Jane comments. Oh yeah, I forgot she was on here too.

"I should say the same to you!" I comment.

"Team two reporting in! Hey Michael, any casualties?" Hello Master Gunnery Sergeant.

"No, and if you ask again, I'm gonna lie to you." I reply with an annoyed frown. "Your men are outstanding soldiers. Gavin's a helluva shot, and Pierce is... Well, I haven't seen him do anything special yet." I catch a scowl forming off of the corner of my eye, which is most likely him. It's kind of funny.

"Good to hear!" He replies back.

Zabaleta comes back into the chat. "Anyone heard from the First Sergeant?"

"We're ready when you are!" Hmm. So the First Sergeant really likes to be silent all the time huh?

"Perfect! We'll begin the distraction now. Stand by." Zabaleta then leaves to do his part. I just hope this works...

I turn to face my team and scan the area around that I think about it; if I take everyone with me, we won't have enough space to move around freely. But I can't leave them alone and doing nothing. I focus my attention on the Staff Sergeant's Rifle. Now there's an idea. If I can find a high point to put Gavin on overwatch duty, he'll be able to keep an eye on everything. After few seconds of searching, I see a mountain, or a hill I guess. It looks about half a mile away from here, but it's easily the highest point closest to us at this time. I raise my hand and point to it. "Staff Sergeant, I'm gonna need an extra pair of eyes while we go in the city." Our rifleman exhales a breath and nods. "Quiyona, go with him and make sure nothing gets the jump on you two."

She smiles, "Yes sir!" I can't help but smirk a bit at that. I mean, just a few days ago, I was seen as the pathetic piece of shit in this city; and now, I'm leading a team of Alliance soldiers to get the "scum" of this city out of it. In fact, I think I may be its only hope... Ironic isn't it?

Quiyona and Gavin take off to find a good spot to set up, while Pierce and I wait for the distraction to take place. At least I have some time for myself. Alright, so-

"What exactly do you think we'll find in there?" Damn it! Can I not finish talking to myself! ... Never mind, that sounds a bit crazy.

I shake my head "When I first came out on the streets today, I saw... bodies... everywhere. I don't think there's going to be much of a difference in this part of the colony."

"I hear you." He looks down with a solemn expression. "When we first landed, the first thing we heard was... Gunshots... Screams of agony." He hesitates on this last one. "And Death... There's a funny thing about war. It changes in you ways you can't possibly imagine. It makes you get scars in multiple places, both physically and mentally." I didn't realize someone like him had a mental state like this. I've been through tough times sure, but this guy, he's probably seen some horrific shit _no one_ should be burdened with. I almost feel sorry him. _Almost._

"So do you like all that?" I stupidly ask. Why the hell should I not ask?

"Are you kidding?" he chuckles a bit and small smile creeps up. "I fucking hate this job!"

...

Huh? Okay, now I'm curious. "I don't get it. If you hate this job, then why be a part of it?"

He puts a hand on his chin. "Well, I guess there are two reasons why. One, my father served during the first contact war; so I decided to follow in his footsteps. You know, family tradition thing."

I don't actually, but whatever. "He, _served_?" I ask

Putting his hand down, his face becomes slightly sadder. "He... died during the battles of Shanxi. I was only eight years old at the time."

Big whoop! My mom died when I was _seven_ years old, and it's not like my father helped much after that! But, I guess I can sort of see how it affected him. I know it affected me...

"The second," Oh right, sorry. "Is because... I don't know. I wanted to make a difference, even if it was a small one; I still wanted to change someone's life for the better. And I don't know, I figured being in the Alliance was the best way for me to do that." Hmm. "Besides, if I didn't do this, I probably would've ended up in some boring desk job."

"Did you have any other family?"

"My Mother is back on earth and I'm an only child. What about you?"

"Just a sister... and, a friend of mine."

"The ones were going for, right?" he asks.

"Yeah, that's them. They're all I have left, and I'm gonna fight for them. If anyone gets in my way; I'll kill them." I let my voice become cold and harsh for those last words. It's true though.

He gives me a devilish grin. "Remind me to never get on your bad side." He says with a chuckle.

I take a deep breath and exhale. "You ready for this?"

"Ready when you are." He takes his shot gun out and puts in a heat sink.

**_Boom! Boom!_**** _Boom!_**

Gah! Fuck! The explosion is so intensely loud that I cover my ears instantaneously. Pierce does the same. The explosions are over, the sky is lit up, and my ears are still ringing. I barely manage to hear Zabaleta speak. "The distraction is a go, all shadow teams, move!"

I look to my engineer and he gives a determined nod. Okay... "Jane, Lunar, Hang in there!"

* * *

><p>Once the distraction had been confirmed, we made our way through the entrance, which was smaller than I remember, and were now on the other side. The cries of agony from the colonists have been getting lower. I guess that means their dead... I know I said before that they're getting what's coming to them, but, now that I see them like this. There are a few people that are split in half! What the hell do the Batarians do to them! Others are impaled, decapitated, or just lined up against a wall... with blood everywhere... Damn it... They didn't deserve like this... No one deserves to die like this.<p>

Gavin's voice brings me out of thought.

"Sanders, this is Staff Sergeant Richard Gavin, do you copy?" Why didn't he just say his rank, or his last name? I'll never understand the military.

"Yeah, I... copy." I hesitated because I'm not sure what I'm supposed to say. "You in position?"

"Yes, I'm getting set up now while Salmon searches around the perimeter. She hasn't gone far, so she should be back soon." I hear the sound of something being loaded. I can't help but smile mischievously at this. It's just the fact that we're about to pull something that's suicidal to do, gets me all pumped up! I'm ready!

"Gavin, Its Quiyona! And also, I'm on my way back now; no sign of hostile contact." Quiyona annoyingly informs. She really hates her last name huh?

"Great," I exclaim silently. "Get back to the Staff Sergeant quick. We can't afford to waste any time."

"Yes sir!" She replies.

I look to my side and see Pierce coming closer. What's he doing? He stops when he gets two feet in front of me and holds his shotgun out. Wait, does he want me too-?

"Here, take this." he says

I raise my eyebrow. "I don't know how to use a shotgun; I'd be useless with it."

"It's not that difficult. All you need to do is be careful with the recoil. Besides, it's a lot better than that piece of shit." He points to my pistol. It's not _that _bad! It's been helping me this whole time, so I don't see how it should be called a piece of shit.

"Fine." I frown and take it from him. Whoa! This thing is heavy! I lift it up and down to try and get used to the weight. I open the slot to put in thermal clips and see that there's already one in there. "Where are the other heat sinks?" He reaches into his pocket and takes out six of them. I grab each one and put them in my harness' pocket.

"It only fires 6 times for each clip. If you try to shoot a seventh time, it's gonna over heat. So be careful with that."

"Noted." I bring my finger to my ear. "Gavin, are you set up yet?"

"Affirmative. We're just waiting for you." he says

"Okay, I need you to look to the northeast of your position. If you look correctly, you should see a farmhouse." I pause and wait a few seconds for his response.

"Found it." He replies "Is that where you're headed?"

"You learn fast, smart ass." I hear Quiyona giggle in the background and say 'hahaha, that rimes!' "Pierce and I are heading there now; the reason why I put you up there was so someone can be watching everything around us and give us some covering fire."

"Roger that douche bag!" ...Hmm. At least he's not being a goody-goody-two shoe anymore.

I let out a short grunt. "Just keep your eyes on everything." I look at my engineer and cock my new shotgun. "Let's go!"

"Right behind you."

With this, we move through this dark-filled alley and make way for the streets. We keep walking until we reach the corner of a two story building. We get into cover and wait for Gavin. "Street looks clear, but I'd keep my guard up. It could be possible that their just in hiding." Or, maybe they're out fighting Zabaleta and his men... Hopefully, it'll be the second idea. The corporal taps my shoulder and gives a nod. Okay, that means we're about to pop a corner or something. Right... I can do that. I give him a nod back and he moves forward. Before I knew it, we rush out into the streets and find ourselves our own piece of cover.

Hmm. Everything looks okay. See! I told you it would be my idea!

...

Wait... Is that a..? Oh shit!

"Sanders, Move out of the way!"

I hear Gavin scream that warning in my earpiece before I get sent back by a small explosion. Before I knew it, I'm on the floor with a ringing in my head. That's getting to be, too much of a familiar sound. About the only things that stand out is some distant gunfire, a few whispered yelling, and... An alarm? I lift up my head and-

Ow! Gah! That hurts! The pain comes from my left shoulder. Damn, that's not gonna help much. I suck in the pain and realize that the alarm was from the shield generator, except its red now. Hmm, useless crap! The whispering becomes a little more blatant and I can understand some of what's going on. I look around as Pierce's rowdy voice comes up. "Sanders, you all right? C'mon, you can't die in a fight like this, well, not so early at least!"

God he's getting to be really annoying! As I look around, as best as I can at least, I out find my shotgun wasn't in my possession. It must have flown out of my hands when the explosion happened. If I plan to live past today, I gotta get my hands on it. I struggle to get up and clench my teeth at the searing pain. I didn't think getting up would hurt this much. I roll over and get on my knees, being able to see that I'm in the middle of a firefight, maybe it would be good idea to stay down. I slowly move closer to the shotgun and grab the handle. Okay let's see how this fight goes. I've come this far, and I'm not gonna die now!

My legs feel like they've recovered from the shock a little, so I crouch/run back into a piece of cover. "Pierce, I'm fine! So shut the hell up with those stupid ass remarks of yours, and get focused on the fight!" Alright, let's see how many of them are there? "Staff Sergeant, how many?"

"Looks to be about nine of them in total; It shouldn't be that hard. Oh, and wait for your shields to recover. If you get hit again, you're fucked!" Gee, thanks for the advice dumb-ass. Though, it's still some good advice. I nod at this and wait for the shield generator to turn blue again. This would be a good time to see where Pierce is.

I lift my head just a tad bit above my cover and take quick glances. Geez, he's supposed to be a medic, not some stealth expert.

Hmm...

Ha! Found him! He looks like he's in some trouble, but he's doing a damn good job by himself. That much is for sure.

_Beep!_

I look down and, what do you know? It's blue! Awesome. Now, I can get in to the action as well. I raise my shotgun and- Ow! Oh right, my shoulder. Crap, that's gonna make things much harder. It looks I'm gonna have to use my pistol then. I place the shotgun on my back, which seems to make it stick on for some reason, and take out my pistol. Alright, let's see how this goes. Before, I can so much as raise the gun, my comm channel opens up.

"This is shadow team 3; we've completed our objective and are waiting for extraction." Already? Damn that was fast.

Zabaleta speaks up. "Good job. But the Batarians are coming at us in full force. There are more of them than we originally thought. So if you guys can hurry the hell up, that would be much appreciated."

"Uh... Guys! We're getting some activity going on around here. If it's something bad, we're all screwed! A lot of these people are too scared to even talk. Michael, please hurry!" Damn it! Hang in there Jane!

I have to say something to calm her down. "We ran into some enemy contact, so maybe that's us. But if it's not, we'll be there as fast as we can."

There was silence between everyone for a few seconds until the Master Gunnery Sergeant says, "Give us your location, my team and I are headed over there now!"

"No!" I quickly respond, "We can handle this ourselves, there isn't that many! Besides, the First Sergeant may need help with evacuating the civilians." This was followed by more silence while he contemplates. "Once you get them evacuated, we'll all meet up at the barn."

"Can you get here in time, Michael?" Lunar asks. What the hell! I didn't even know she was listening in on us.

"Of course I can." I say with determinism. "Just stay calm, I'll be there soon."

"Alright, fine!" The leader of shadow team 3 exclaims. "I'll go help out with the evacuation, but be careful! I need my men back alive remember!"

"I frankly don't give a shit! I told you I'd do my best to bring them back, so just leave it the fuck alone!" God I'm getting sick of that!

"Michael!" Lunar yells. "What did I tell you about being rude to other people! Their helping us, so don't be such an ass!" Oh crap! I kind of forgot she was there. Sometimes it feels like she's the older one.

I apologize to both of them and let go of the earpiece. I clutch my shoulder and think about how we're gonna get out of this. The only option we have left is to run away; but I doubt that Gavin's sniper cover will be enough to distract while we make our escape. We can't fight them off thanks to this damn wound... Wait a minute... Am I _that_ stupid!

I open my omni-tool and activate an application of medi-gel. I slather it on my wound and let out a *sigh* as the pain gets replaced by numbness. Aaaahh. That feels much better. I close my eyes and enjoy the sweet bliss of pain relief. This takes me back to a moment when Lunar and I got hurt, after we were attacked by a Meeler. That was one nasty looking animal... That was also the time we first met Jane... We were so scared back then, and she showed us things no one else did. Kindness, friendship, love.

I suddenly remember that I'm in the middle of a battlefield. Right. I can think about that memory later. I holster my pistol and take out my shotgun, again. At least now I'll be able to use this baby! I grin at this thought and pump my weapon. Okay, let's go!

I rush out of cover and set up an overload code, for... valid reasons. I look to Pierce and see that he and Gavin have taken out four of them already. The sound of sniper rifle echoes. Nope, make five of them. Damn they really are good. I find the closest one next me and see that his shields have dropped. My first victim shall be you! I raise my shotgun in his direction, and pull the trigger. He looks at me right before I pull the trigger and dodges it. To be honest, I think I was the one that got affected the most. After the shotgun blasted at the enemy, I got sent stumbling back. Damn, Pierce wasn't kidding when he said to be careful with the recoil! This definitely isn't like the pistol.

Gunfire suddenly begins to ping against my shields. Oh shit! I'm still out in the open! I get back into cover and cock my shotgun. My shields have just warned me that it's down to fifty percent. I have to be more careful. I look up and notice that the persistent one who dodged my blast is coming closer to me. Well that benefits me a little. If he comes just a little bit closer, I can take him out. He keeps walking in my direction and fires at the empty space next to me. He fires up to a point where his weapon overheats and he has to put in a heat sink. Here we go! I pop out of cover, firing the gun in his face. I was careful with the recoil, but it still sent my arms back.

On to the next one! The report of a sniper rifle echoes once again and we're left with two Batarians. Now it looks like they're outnumbered. Both of them are around Pierce, possibly trying to overwhelm him. Well, not for long! I move over to where Pierce and get my shields dropped to 15 percent. That's not good.

"Good to see you're still alive and well." He looks to my medi-gel covered shoulder. "Mostly."

"You okay?" I ask

"I'm fine, but these guys aren't giving me much of a breather. Can you use your Biotics to give us a hand?"

I raise my eyebrow. "How would you want me to help you?"

"You can put them in a stasis in which they'll be immobilized for us to take them out." He explains. Well that was descriptive.

I nod to him. "I'll see what I can do."

Take a deep breath... Focus... Think about what you've just learned... and send it out with everything you've got. I do exactly what I tell myself and in response, my body glows blue again. I exhale send it at them with a roar.

Huh? Oh no, I messed up! It looks like I just pushed them back! "Well, you didn't freeze them, that's for sure." Gee, thanks for stating the obvious! I didn't freeze them, but I think I know what might. I open my omni-tool and bring out the program called Cryo-Blast. I activate it and send it at one of the aliens, who then freezes after coming in contact with the attack. I stand up and fire my shotgun at him; he then shatters to a million pieces.

I get down and eye Pierce with and a devilish smirk. "You were saying?"

He rolls his eyes and grunts. "We still have one more you know?" He gets up and overloads the last Batarian's shields. He stumbles back from the electricity. Right after that happens, a shot from a sniper rifle goes off and hits the Batarian in his knee-cap. I move out of cover and get up close to him. He looks up at me as I point my gun in his face. His four eyes nictate simultaneously. He opens his mouth and says some gibberish I can't understand.

"We'll see about that," Pierce remarks behind me. I squeeze the trigger and my gun recoils as his blood splatters all over the ground.

We did it. We beat them! Wait a minute... I turn around ask Pierce, "You understood what he said?"

"Of course. Don't you have a translator?" Translator?

"No. I don't." I answer. "What did he say? Anything important?"

He looked away. That can't be good... "He said that it doesn't matter what we do, the people here will still die. I think your friend is in trouble."

My mind goes back to when Jane said _"We're getting some activity going on around here. If it's something bad, we're all screwed!"_ Oh, Shit! We have to hurry. Before it's too late...

I must have been staring in the same place for too long, because Pierce is waving his hand in my face. "Hellooo! You still with me?"

I shake my head back to reality. "While, you and Gavin took care of the Batarians, I was chatting with Jane, Lunar, and a few other people, but right now, the other people aren't important. The Important thing is, Jane said that she was getting some activity around her farm. If what the Batarian said was correct..."

"... They won't have a lot of time..." he finishes for me.

"Let's get going!" He nods and I open up my comm channel. "Gavin?"

"I heard. You two better hurry, I'll keep you guys covered." He said.

"Alright, let's move out!"

* * *

><p>It didn't take long for us to reach Jane's house. Though, maybe it's because we didn't run into to any more hostiles. Once we got off the street, there was this HUGE road block, which just happened to be the road that led to Jane's house. Typical. Anyway, because of the roadblock, we had to cut through one of the houses, and get out from there. The door was locked, but, that was the reason why I brought Pierce with me. So he took care of it easily, and we went through the backdoor. After that, it was a straight path to Jan's place.<p>

Anyway, we're standing in front of Jane's house right now. It looks... Destroyed... I guess I shouldn't be surprised, I mean, every other house turned out to be like this... Well, this, or turned into ash... God I hate the Batarians. Watching the flames burn throughout her house, causes a chill to settle in my gut. Seeing it like this is just so unreal. I can't imagine how Jane is taking this.

Without warning, gunfire fills the area behind the house. The gunfire didn't startle me, I got used it already. But it was the point of which the gunfire was taking place. Damn it we gotta go, now!

I immediately run straight for the source, not caring weather Pierce is behind me or not. "Gavin, what's going on!"

"The Batarians have found Jane and the other refugees; I repeat, they found them, and they've opened fire! Some of them look like they're being taken away!"

"... And what of Lunar and Jane? "I ask as I turn the corner. Hard to believe I was doing this, just... 3 days ago?

I have a bad feeling about this. "I can't see them Sanders, you're gonna have to find them yourself." Damn it! Please be okay! "I'll take out as many of them as I can!"

I don't say anything as I jump Jane's fence. My run is now a rush for their survival. I keep running until I come into sight with her barn.

...

No...

...

Oh My God! The whole thing is engulfed in flames! I only see a few of the refugees in the fields, fighting off the Batarians. Just like said the Staff Sergeant said, the Batarians are here and they're either taking people away, or slaughtering them. I look more into the fields, and find Jane's father with a bunch of the resistance.

Pierce bump's into me from behind and gives me a 'What do we do?' look. I look down turn my attention back to the fields. Where are they? Then, my eye catches a Red-head holding a sub-machine pistol... Who... is about to get shot by an enormous machine thing.

Fuck!

Before I know it, I'm running straight for her. My heartbeat is the only thing I can hear right now, maybe it's because of the adrenaline, but I don't care. If I stop here, she's gonna die!

I get within spitting distance from her in a matter of seconds. The machine is about to fire, as I jump tackle Jane to the ground. I land on her side with my arm wrapped around her waist. She looks at me, wildly perplexed that I'm here. "You made it!" She exclaimed.

"Yeah, good thing too; you almost got shot!" I tell her.

"Thanks for that! Now can you help please?" she asks

I nod. "Sure; but first, where's Lunar?"

"She should be somewhere around the field with my father."

I remember where he is. I guess I'm headed there. "Alright, I'm gonna go check on her. In the meantime," I look over to where Pierce is and realize he's firing at them from behind a tree. That's... something. "He'll help you." She nods as I begin to get up.

Before I move though, she stops me. "Wait!" My eyes meet hers and I'm taken away by those beautiful eyes of hers again. She moves... Much closer to me; so close, that I can feel her breath on my face. Suddenly she moves her head to my side and kisses my cheek.

Uh... I... Um... You...

She pulls her head back and says "Be careful." She gives me a big smile. It's funny; I don't even care about the fact that there's a battle going on. I feel... Great!

I shake my head rapidly, "You too." I give her one more smile and then leave with a skip in my step.

Okay, that was... I don't know. It felt amazing! But I can't think about it now; I have to find Lunar! I move through the fields, whacking every plant that gets in my way. The bullets are just whipping above my head, but I can't pay attention to those, not yet.

I find Jane's dad as quick as I had set out, and begin talking to him. "Hey, have you seen Lunar? Jane told me she was here with you!"

His back is turned to me as he gives orders to the other resistance fighters. Hard to believe there's only 5 of them left. "Victor, stay covered on the tractor, that'll make it harder for them to hit you! Steve, I need you to stay up front with the pointers." Pointers? What the Fu-? "Diana, you and the other two, help tend to the wounded!" Everyone leaves to do their things and He turns to me. "You! Where's the help Jane said was coming? Where's the Alliance?"

"They'll be here, but right now, my team and I are all you've got! I have a sniper on the outskirts of the city with a sniper, whom is providing overwatch. Another is here assisting Jane! Now where's Lunar?" I quickly inform.

He shakes his head. "She's in the forest behind the barn. She's staying with the ones that were in the farmhouse! They're in the forest behind it."

"I appreciate it!" I say. Rolling my eyes, I head to the forest. Geez! I'm the one saving his ass and he still can't say a simple thank y-

"Shadow team's 1 and 3 reporting in! We've taken care of the civilians! Awaiting extraction." Hello First Sergeant, How are you in this fine... Morning?

"Good," I reply. "I've arrived with my team, and the Batarians are hitting this place with some Giant ass robot! We won't last until you get here! Zabaleta, you too. Fall back and bring your men with you!"

All of them reply, "Copy that!"

Sergeant Brannigan's voice comes up. "I'll be helping you out too kid. I owe you."

"Gavin, Quiyona, that means you guys too. I need you both here. Understood!"

"Yes sir! We'll be there in five minutes!"

"Go faster Gavin! I need you guys here, NOW!" I let go of the radio and storm towards the trees.

I'm so close, I can almost hear her. Lunar, I'm coming for you! I pass the burning Farmhouse and dip into the forests. Wait a minute, if they're in the forest, then that means the Batarians might also. This bolsters my focus and makes me run faster than I ever have.

_"Achoo!"_

Hmm? I stop running and look around to where the source could be found. I think it came from that bush! I get closer to it and slowly move around it. When I turn the corner, I get greeted with a tackle. I land on my back with some kid slapping in the face. "Agh! Hey! Cut it out kid! Stop slapping me in the face!"

In the distance, I hear, "Brother? Michael, is that you?"

Lunar! The kid stops their attack and turns into her direction. "Lunar, you know this guy?"

"That's my brother, get off him! He came to save us!" God it's good to hear her voice in person.

You heard her kid, get off! I push him to the side and get up off the floor. "Glad to see your okay." She rushes over and gives me big, tender hug. "We'll have times for reunions later; right now, we have to get out of the woods. It's not safe here."

"Why do you say that? The Aliens are out there, fighting Jane and everyone else." My sibling states.

"Yeah, but that could be a distraction for them to sneak through the woods." Everyone else comes out. Parents, children, pets; they all come out wide-eyed. "The best thing we can do is get all of you at a safe distance from the fight, but still be pretty close. That's we're all going back, and you guys are gonna stay in a prone position on the ground, so that they won't be able to spot you." The scared civilians shake their heads without hesitation. I beckon them with my hand, telling them to follow me.

Thank Goodness! Lunar is all right. Jane is all right. Now, all that needs to be done is to get them out of here. I have to say, its damn miracle they're both okay. I honestly didn't think... Haha. I can stop thinking about stuff like that. Now that Lunar's under my protection, _nothing_ is going to happen to her.

* * *

><p>We arrive at the battlefield with everybody shaken up. I guess I can't really blame them. A lot of stuff has happened in the past 3 days. Hey, it looks like Pierce decided to join us in the fields. Good, we could use a medic. I quickly take everyone behind the fields and show them what I want them to do. With only a few comments, they seemed to be okay. Lunar insisted she helped in the fight, so I gave her my pistol, and gave her a quick lesson on how to use it. After that, we met up with Jane and Pierce.<p>

I don't get a chance to speak before my comm's begin to sputter. "Sanders? It's Gavin. Quiyona and I are right above you."

"Glad you could make it! Drop off Quiyona and pick up the refugees! We'll keep the fire off you!" I command.

"Roger that!" I look up and see a blue alliance shuttle coming down to our landing zone (basically around the refugees hiding place). After about five minutes of us firing at the Batarians, The Alliance soldier continues, "I got them, Quiyona's heading over to you as we speak. I'll be back as soon as I can!"

"Well done Staff Sergeant! Get them out of here!"

The shuttle leaves and we get a tall Mindoir police officer in return. She meets up with us and crouches next to Lunar, who gives a warm smile. "Hi," Lunar greets. "I'm Lunar Sanders; it's nice to meet you."

"Hi sweetie! I'm Quiyona Salmon." She looks at me and then back at her. "You're more well-mannered than your brother is you know that?"

What! Did she just!

...

Okay, I guess it's kinda true...

"Glad you could join us, 'Private'!" I put a little more emphasis on her rank because I'm a little peeved at what she said. She rolls her eyes and smiles. "I've come up with a plan, but it's going to take all of us." Everyone seems to be listening now. "Now, our first Priority is to take out that Giant-ass Robot. So, we'll need technicians. Quiyona, I want you to divert all the power in your omni-tool into one big overload; that's gotta shut down its systems. After that, Pierce, that thing must have some heavy armor plating for it to have lasted this long. So, I want you to hit it with the strongest Incinerate you've got."

"We'll get it done." Pierce acknowledges. "But the Batarians that _aren't_ giant robots are going to be firing at us the whole time."

I point Jane, "That's where you come in." She nods. "You're going to stay back here and give them a suppressing fire. Call your Dad and the others to help you out." She gives another nod and Cocks her pistol. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention the fact that she had one. "Meanwhile, Lunar and I are going to sneak around and hit them at their back ranks."

Jane fires shot at the Batarians and say, "I'll go get my Father." She walks over to Lunar. "Take care of your brother alright. He can be a bit hot-headed at times." I let a whined yelp. Did she really have to say that?

Lunar responds with a determined nod. "I will!"

Jane takes a last look at me and walks off. "Okay," I begin. "Whenever you two are ready, hit 'em hard!"

Quiyona gives me a devilish smile. "You can count on that!"

"Keep in radio contact." Pierce says.

With this, Lunar and I run back into the woods. Now, it's just us two, walking in a dark forest, where an ugly looking alien can pop out at any moment. We're not wasting any time, but we're also taking it slow. Cover after cover; Tree after Tree. Before we knew it, we're around two minutes away. There was silence between the both of us until Lunar decides to talk.

"She likes you a lot; you know that right?" She states.

"Who?" I ask

"God, you are so oblivious when it comes to girls." She exclaims silently.

"Hey, it's not like I've had tons of practice."

She sigh's apprehensively, "Jane you idiot! She likes you a lot."

"I know. We're friends stupid! Yeah, and then _I'm_ the idiot."

"No, no, no; I mean, she 'Likes you, Likes you'. As in, kissing wise." She playfully retorts.

"What! You're crazy! We're friends, nothing more." ... Right?

"Do you like her back?" She asks.

"Why do you care so much?"

"Because, I think she is the most perfect one for you! She is very nice and sweet and kind! It balances out all of your hatred, anger, and ass-hole-ness."

"Gee, thanks for that." I sarcastically reply. I give her a smile. "I'm glad that you find that so fascinating, but right now we need to focus on-"

I'm interrupted (for the fifth time!) by some gibberish that sounds like Batarian language. We immediately take cover. Hmm. I remember Pierce saying that he can understand their language by using a translator. Does my omni-tool have that? I open up, hoping the glow wouldn't give our position away. Okay, let's see... Languages... Languages... Languages... Aha! Languages! I open the file and enable the translator.

"-This is only the start. We'll show the humans what happens when you colonize in one of our star systems." What? Is that what this is all about?

"In time, they'll get what's coming to them. And we'll be the ones to do them over. They all deserve to die!" I clench my fist. These guys are a bunch of monsters! "C'mon let's get ready, they probably need us. You get in a sniping position somewhere. I'll go back and help them with-

**_BOOM!_**

The heat of the blast is coming from the direction of the fields. Either that was the Robot blowing up, or bad things happened.

"Shit! Balak, Move! Go! I'll see what the hell just happened!" One of them heads towards the explosion and, 'Balak' goes in the opposite direction. I catch a glimpse of the Batarian named Balak as he turns around. He has multiple stripes coming down each side of his face, as well as 3 huge lines on both sides of his head. Not much else to distinguish him by.

With both of them gone Lunar gets out of cover and asks, "What was that all about? You think that was us?"

I sure hope so. "It has to be. Don't worry, they're fine. Let's go!

"Right!"

* * *

><p>It wasn't long until we got a radio transmission from just about everybody saying they were on their way, or, they destroyed the giant robot thing. Of course, those calls are always good to hear. We get to a point where we are right across the fields. There are, from what I counted, 14 Batarians (Including that Balak character). That's more than we've faced before. But we have more people this time.<p>

Lunar and I slowly creep up from behind and take two of them out. I got to use the Neural shock application this time. It practically fried his entire nervous system! Lunar disapproved, but she did shoot the other one in the head. I still can't believe I let her use a gun. It's everything I've been trying to keep her from and I just _handed_ it to her... But, these are desperate times.

"Jane, we're right behind them! How are you guys?" I ask

"Not good! We've lost two people already and my Dad got shot! We need a help!"

Damn it! I wave to Lunar and we begin to move into the field. I beckon with my hand and we go straight to the ground. I get into a crouching position and shoot one of the Batarians in the back, cutting through his shields and killing him instantaneously. I look over to the next one and overload his shields, which Lunar takes out with a series a pistol shots. She isn't that bad actually. One by one, the Batarians drop on the ground with blood soon following their corpses. Now, we're left with 3 of them. Everyone left alive, even Jane's Father, who was patched up thanks to our medic, came out of cover and surrounded them.

With all of them at gun point. I can tell them what to do. "We have you surrounded; throw your weapons away and get on the ground!"

"One of them with purple face paint looks up at me."Bite me Human! I don't take orders from you!"

I aim my gun below and shoot him in the knee-cap. He screams in pain as he falls to the ground. "I wasn't giving you an option! Now do it!" I bitterly say.

Everyone but Pierce seems be to giving me horrifying looks. I don't blame them; but these guys royally, piss me off!

He inhales a painful breath, throws his gun aside, and shakily raises his arms. The other two soon follow. "See. That wasn't so hard, was it?" I look to Quiyona. "Cuff them, let's give them to the Alliance."

She hesitantly takes out her cuffs and locks them all three. Pierce and I had our weapons pointed right at them, in case they tried anything funny. After she got them all locked together, she gladly took a step back. Alright, now all we have to do is wait for the shuttles.

As if on cue, the shuttles arrive altogether. They showed up pretty late didn't they? The first shuttle touches down and Both Sergeant Brannigan and First Sergeant Thomas, step out. Sergeant Brannigan goes straight for us, while the First Sergeant observes the rubble from the used-to-be Giant ass robot. He looks impressed. The remaining shuttles land and soldiers exit the vehicle. Zabaleta and the Master Gunnery Sergeant get off last. Zabaleta puts his hands on his waist and Master Gunnery Sergeant Nods in my direction.

"Kid, I didn't think you could pull it off; but we got all the civilians out safely, and we managed to destroy the radio tower. I take back all those bad things I've said about you before all of this. You have my thanks." Well, thanks... I guess.

"I couldn't have done it without help." I say gesturing to everyone around me.

"Hey, I helped out too you know?" The Staff Sergeant says.

I smile and turn my attention to the Batarians. "We need to take these three back to the Alliance; they're planning something big. I don't know what, but it would be better if we take them with us."

Without warning, all three of their heads just pop like a melon. I don't know why, but everyone with the exception of me gets down on the floor. Damn, why can't I move! Move Damn it! Oh shit! I'm about to die! For real this time! I smile. At least I got to save the two most important people in my life. I can die living with that... I just wish I got the chance to Lunar grow up...

"Michael!" My sister exclaims. "GET DOWN!" Suddenly, I'm violently pushed down to the ground and everything goes black for about five seconds.

What the hell just happened! Am I dead? Is this what I see when I'm dead? No, it's not... I open my eyes and jerk myself up to see Lunar faced down on the grass with blood flowing under her body...

No... No... No... This can't be happening... This can't be happening... This shit can't be real... It's got to be a dream or something! THIS CAN'T BE FUCKING HAPPENING! Please No! There is an enormous amount of pressure in my chest right now.

I quickly crawl over to where she is and flip her over. Noo...

Blood... Everywhere... There's a hole on the side of head, and her blood is all over her. I brush a strand of her blonde hair across her face and look deeply into her lifeless eyes. It's going to be okay Lunar... Big Brother is going to get you out of this... I slowly move my hand across the hole in her head. This is just a scratch... I can fix this for you...

Before I can continue, I'm rudely interrupted by a bullet impacting my shields. I look down to my shield capacitor and clench my teeth at the red glow. I grab the pistol strapped to Lunar's dead body and get off the ground. I cannot describe how angry I am right now. I furiously turn around and fire uncontrollably at the direction of the sniper. Sniper... Who does that remind me of? Damn it! I can't think straight! Urghaahh!

I manage to see the sniper, but only from the back, as he flees the scene when everyone begins to fire at him. Even when he's gone, I keep firing at him in rampage. Come back here you Fucking asshole! You only leave after you take away everything I have! You Bitch! I'll never forgive you for what you've done! Aaahhh!

The gunshots from my pistol end as it overheats from extended use. But I keep pulling the trigger, as the salty tears run down my cheeks. A pair of hands gets a hold of me. I don't know whose, but my body feels numb. I'm pretty sure there are people talking, but I honestly can't hear them... Right now, all I can hear is the sound of Lunar's voice saying that I've failed her. It's not long before I collapse on the ground.

The last thing I manage to think about is her Sweet, Happy smile. I think I've come to the conclusion that Lunar, my sister that I fought so hard to protect; that I loved more than anything in this galaxy...

Lunar...is Dead...

* * *

><p><strong>What a tragic moment for Michael. I'm sure everyone saw this coming. But I had to get the emotion just right for her death scene, because this is a key moment for Michael and how his view of life changes.<strong>

**Anyway, I just wanna say sorry for taking so long to post this chapter. It wasn't my intention, but my E.O.C. is literally, on Thursday! So I've been having to study, turn in a crap-load of projects, (which I'm still not done with btw) and get my grades up. So unfortunately, the next chapter won't come out for awhile.**

**Also, I apologize for making this chapter INCREDIBLY LONG! Even I wasn't expecting it to be this long. But I had to fit in everything in one chapter to keep my promise. So, to all the people who stuck around for the whole chapter, I thank you!**

**Now, I've got two recommendations this time. The first one is "Welcome to the New Family" by TheRev28. It's the sequel to "Welcome to the Family" and it was also the fanfic that got me into writing myself. If you haven't read either of them, you should! The second recommendation is for an Elfen Lied Fanfic called "Family Sticks Together" by JRB95. It is fantastic for all those gory loving anime freaks out there. I loved it!**

**Well, until next time, Laterz!**


	6. A Family of One

**A/N: Testing is finally OVER! Quick! Yell hooray for me! No? Fine then! But yes, testing is over which means I will be updating much faster now! Isn't that great?**

**Anyway, I want to say sorry again for making the last chapter so long. I just had a lot to fit in and I wanted to keep my promise. But don't worry, this chapter won't be nearly as long. Speaking of the last chapter; a certain Batarian was mentioned and will be returning later on. Just so everyone know's, Balak was the one that shot the Batarian captives and Lunar. So you can tell that leaves something in store for us later ;)**

**Before you begin reading though; Say Hello to The Galaxy has passed 10 reviews! It doesn't seem like much, but it means a lot to me. So Thank you to all the people that have read, favorited, or alerted this fanfic. And a special thanks to those who reviewed: CallsignReaper01, CuHnadian, and HanabiHyuuga13. I appreciate you guys reviewing each of my chapters.**

**Great! Now that that's taken cared of, let's begin!**

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><p><span>Chapter 6: A family of one<span>

**9 years earlier...**

"Dad!" I yelled as I reached the kitchen, "Dad! We need breakfast! Lunar's getting up soon and if there's no breakfast, she isn't going to be a very nice person!" This is weird... Where is he? Mom would already have everything done.

...

I head back through the hallway and think about my Mother's passing. I don't understand why she had to die... I mean, we still need her to kiss us goodnight, or tell us a story before we go to sleep... The thoughts begin to make my eyes water. She always made sure breakfast was prepared for us before we woke up. Then she'd get Lunar's hair ready while I brushed my teeth for school. After that, she would drop us off at school and wave us goodbye...

I miss her...

The tears in my eyes begin fall down my cheeks. Stupid heart attack!

I sob a few more times before I wipe the salty water off my eyes. I have to be brave, just like dad told me last night. 'Be strong for Lunar, because you never know what could happen to her now that your mother... passed away.' The strange thing is, when I stated the fact that he'd be here to protect us, he didn't give me an answer...

I peek in Lunar's room to see that she's out of bed now and rubbing the crust off her eyes. That's pretty... Not! I laugh at my thought's and open her door. I wonder what would happen if her friends at school saw her like this. Nah! I don't think I'd have the heart to do that.

She sees me standing in her door way and asks, "What are you staring at?"

Hmm, I think I might tease her a little bit. "I was just trying to see if you had your broomstick yet, little miss witch."

She goes in front of her mirror and gasps at the sight of her messed up hair. "That's not funny!" she yells.

I step over to where she is and pat her head. "It seemed funny to me." She glares at me and pouts her lip. "You get ready, while I wake up Dad."

"Okay," She opens her drawer, takes out her brush, and then looks back inside the drawer. Her facial expression quickly turns despondent.

Oh no...

She reaches inside the drawer and pulls out a holo of Mom. Suddenly, it becomes more difficult for me to speak. I know it can't be easy for her... Tears begin to flow down as she stares at the holo with nostalgia. I bring her into a hug and stroke that golden blonde hair she got from our Mother. She looks so much like her it's not even funny. But I guess that's a way that we'll never forget her.

I gulp the clog that was in my throat and slowly begin to talk. "I know it's... hard Lunar... But we... have to move on... It's been four months now."

"It's not fair!" She cries out, "Why did she have to leave big brother! I never wanted her to go! I miss her so much!"

It pains me to see her like this... "I miss her too Lunar... very much..." With a sniffle, I pull away from the hug. "Get your hair done; I'll take care of everything else."

She replies with a hesitant nod and puts the holo back in the drawer. I walk out the door, closing it in the process. Now, I'm leaning on the wall.

Why did she have to leave us? We didn't do anything bad to deserve this... Well, at least we still have our father. He's not like what mom used to be; but he's still trying right?

Yeah. That's all that matters right now... Besides; if I break down like this, dad won't be able to count on me.

This causes new found purpose to surge through my veins. I get off the wall and move down the hall to dad's room.

... Which doesn't take long. I scan the door with my eyes and see that the panel is green. I guess he's not sleeping or changing... But I better knock, just in case.

*Knock, Knock, Knock*

... No answer...

Should I just go in? ...Eh! Why the heck not!

I press my hand on the panel and the door whooshes open. I step inside and-

...

What the heck!

It's like the whole room was stolen! Everything but the bed, even the bed sheets, are gone! Okay, don't panic! This could mean anything! Maybe he had to take a trip somewhere or something! If a burglar came in here, he would've stopped him! I move further into the room and open his closet. Nothing! There's no clothes here either! I check the other drawers and get the same results. Now, I'm in the center of the room and on my knees.

Okay... Now I can panic...

This doesn't make any sense. If a burglar had came into the house, he wouldn't have stopped here. Besides, the only valuable thing my father has are his Info-Data-Pads. Furthermore, those are in the living room. So why was only my dad's room scavenged?

Something bright catches the corner of my eye. I turn to its direction and see that it's a data-pad placed between the two pillows. I rush over to it and pick it up.

The screen is all black, but contains a distinctive message saying: "Play Me!"

I raise my eyebrow and cautiously press the screen. The screen is then occupied by my father with a rather puffy face.

_Michael... I don't have a lot of time before you both wake up; so I have to make this brief. _

_I'm leaving... And I'm not coming back. _

No, no...

_This... all this... It's just too hard for me to handle by myself... Your mother dying, really killed me inside, and she was the one who did this stuff for you guys before. When I look back on it now; she must have been like a super hero or something._

_*Chuckles*_

_... God! I loved her so much! _

_*Sob, sniffle*_

_...I don't want you two to follow me, but remember what I told you last night. You have to be strong for Lunar... Because you're all she has now..._

_If you'll do me one favor; please don't tell her I left like this... It would break her heart..._

I clench my fist.

_I have to go now... my shuttle leaves in half an hour. I love you both... I'm sorry..._

The vid ends with a beep.

What? He couldn't have left! Not like this! All those moments, when he would tell me to be strong and to protect what I love most. Was that just so he could prepare me for this? Did he already plan on leaving? Why would he do that to us!

His last request registers in my mind again. And he still wants me to do him a favor?

He must be really stupid to think that I'm gonna honor his request. With plentiful anger, I fiercely throw the data-pad across the room, colliding it against the wall and breaking it into pieces.

My average breathing rate has increased immensely as I plummet to the bed. I can't stop thinking about his last two words.

"I'm sorry"

Did he have to put this much weight on me? For god's sake, I'm only eight! First my mom dies... And now this? Can my life get any worse?

"Brother! Michael, what happened!"

...

Crap... The data-pad shattering probably caused her to come here. "Where's dad?" She asks with terror in her voice.

Well... I guess I gotta tell her. I lift my face off the bed and look at her.

"Lunar... Dad, he..." She stares at me with an almost pleading expression. Sad actually... "...Had a business trip to go to and he won't be back for quite awhile."

I can't tell her the truth... At least not yet. I guess I'm the stupid one.

"What about that loud breaking sound?"

Oh... right. "I accidentally tripped and dropped the data-pad with the message. It broke when it hit the ground." That actually seems like a good cover story.

She slumps down on the ground and begins to contemplate the news. I crouch down next to her, rubbing her shoulder in a comforting way. She decides to speak up "Does that mean... it's only us now?"

I give a nod with the best smile I can scrounge up. "Yeah. But it'll be okay." She pulls me into a hug and holds me tightly.

In time, I'll tell her what _really_ happened. But right now, I've gotta start learning more than what they teach me at school. A lot of things are gonna change around here. I guess I won't be going to school anymore either. Oh well, I didn't have any friends, so I guess I'll be fine. What about Lunar though?

...

I'll figure it out as I go along. Right now, I have to come up with a sort of game plan. I extend my arms further around her body and hug back.

"I will always be here to protect you."

* * *

><p><strong>Present day...<strong>

The shuttle ride back to the Alliance ship seemed like it took years. There were seven people in the shuttle. Gavin, Pierce, Quiyona, Brannigan, The First Sergeant, Jane, and Myself. Jane's father and the other refugees went with the Master Gunnery Sergeant. Her father didn't argue when she said she wanted to accompany me in the same shuttle. His way of showing a sign of gratitude I guess. During this endless ride, no one spoke a single word. If they did, then I just didn't hear them. I don't even care. I just couldn't stop staring at her...

Her cold skin, or her golden blonde hair, now stained with blood.

... My hands... Her blood is on my hands... God...

When we arrived at the ship's cargo bay, I didn't even have it in me to get out by myself. I still carried her; but Jane and Quiyona assisted me in getting up. They also supported me over to the medical bay to put Lunar on one of the beds. But I insisted that I kept a hold of her. They didn't try to resist before they went over to the cockpit. The doctor said she wanted to run a psychiatric scan on my brain. It took a bit of persuading, but in the end, I talked her into letting me have some time alone with my sister. Then she could run the scan later. Works for me...

Now... I sit here alone, cradling her in my arms.

If I had just been more alert! Maybe I could have prevented it from happening... And she would still be here...

But I was so sure that we had taken every one of them out... Who could I have missed?

...

Wait a minute! My mind goes back to the Conversation between the two Batarians.

_"C'mon let's get ready, they probably need us. You should get in a sniping position somewhere Balak. It might come in handy."_

I tighten my fist so much that my knuckles become white. Slowly, the name comes out with bitterness, "Balak..."

When we meet again, and meet again we shall.

I. Will. Kill. You.

The door of med-bay whooshes open when Jane walks in. She looks... troubled.

With a very soft tone, I ask, "What's wrong?"

She opens her omni-tool and brings something up on the Monitor. "There gonna fire a heavy attack against the Batarians to drive them out. But when they do that, they'll also be killing any remaining civilians left in the city!" She explains.

The camera in front of the ship is being displayed on the monitor. "So?" I ask placing Lunar on one of the beds.

She looks at me with contempt. "Are you kidding me?" she strides closer to me. "After everything we saw down there, you still don't care about what happens to them?"

My eyes have no life in them... just like Lunar's. "Nope." I plainly respond.

That was all it took for her fist to collide with my face. My head jerks to the direction she punched in response and snaps me back to reality. She is now furious.

"How could you say something like that?" she asks. "They have lost so many of their friends and family members because of all this, and yet you still can't feel any pity for them?"

I'm sorry Jane, but you've picked a really bad time to get me mad. "Why should I!" I roar back. She steps back a little at my sudden outcry. "My whole life I've been suffering and these people didn't even care! They just watched and didn't do fucking thing about it! Hell, some of them would even spit on me for being the way I am! They don't know what it's like to have family members leave you at such a young age! And now when _they're_ the ones suffering, you want me to feel fucking sorry for them!"

She's about to say something back, but I don't allow her to. "No! I just lost the last member of my family and I couldn't do anything stop it! So believe me when I say, I don't give a Shit about what happens to them."

She stays silent a bit before she scoffs. "Your right... They didn't give a damn about you when you needed help. There's no reason why you should feel sorry for them now." I'm glad she sees it my- "But Lunar would never have wanted this..." She points to her and then walks out.

My eyes turn to the monitor and then to Lunar.

...

Damn it!

I shake my head and exit the room.

* * *

><p>Finding the cock-pit wasn't very hard. I found it in like five minutes.<p>

But anyway, I'm standing in front of the door with armored guards on each side. "Sorry kid, but you need authorization to go in he-"

I rudely grab the top of his chest piece and say, "I'm not in the mood, so just open the fucking door!" The other guard was literally about to shoot me with his pistol until the door opens itself. It's the First Sergeant.

"It's alright boys let him in." He says.

They both get back to the position of attention after I release my hold of his armor. I walk in without hesitation and find just the Master Gunnery Sergeant and Zabaleta inside. "Where is everybody?"

"Somewhere else on the ship. We need your opinion on this decision, given what's happened today, what you decide will carry weight. After all, it's your homeworld and you were the one that got everyone out." Zabaleta informs.

I'd usually say something here, but I just don't care right now. "Use light fire only! Try to take out just the Batarians and nothing else. I want to bury my sister in a specific place." I think about what Jane said. "And those people have suffered enough. They'll need a home to go back to..."

He nods and gets back to piloting. The ship doesn't even shake as he goes charging in. He stops as he reaches the atmosphere. He does a few gestures with his hands and the gun's come out. With little warning, they began to fire, taking out every Batarian they saw. Before we knew it, the remainder of them started to evacuate the colony and left. We decided not go after them as the civilians are still on the ship and need to be brought back.

I nod my head and walk back to the Med-bay.

I hope I did what you would've asked for Lunar...

* * *

><p>It didn't take long before we got all the civilians back into the colony. Jane was proud of me, as was Quiyona and Brannigan, for me making the right choice. Once we got everyone on the ground, the first thing I did was bring Lunar over to the special spot in the cemetery. She told me once that if she died, she wanted to be buried next to our mom. I'm gonna honor that wish. Jane wanted to help, seeing as how she played a role in Lunar's life, so I let her. With the two of us working together, we got it done rather quickly.<p>

Now, all that remained was to say goodbye. But I just can't do it... It's too damn difficult...

Jane placed a hand on my shoulder. "I know it's tough... but you have to let her go. I'll give you a minute okay?"

I simply nod and she leaves.

Looking at both of their Tomb stones just kills me inside. In fact... I feel like I'm already dead. But I don't at the same time. I feel like someone is keeping me alive... I crouch in front of her grave.

"Hey Lunar, its Michael. I don't know if you can hear me but... I'm sorry... I couldn't protect you when you needed me most. It should have been me who died, not you! Why did you jump in the way? You deserve to live more than I do. But I guess that's not possible now..." My voice seems to have disappeared. "... I'll do the living for you than."

I grab a sharp rock nearby and cut my hand with it. Letting the dripping blood fall on her stone. "I swear on this wound and on this grave; I will change for the better... I will be a better person." I smile "But I can't change my attitude too much you know? Heh heh... Say hi to mom for me will you?"

I put medi-gel on my hand, allowing the wound to close and the blood to stop oozing out. I turn around and move towards Jane. My head hangs down as she pulls me into a warm and familiar embrace. I cherish this hug before we walk back to the city.

I guess this makes me a family of one.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Okay, I'll be honest with you guys; It felt Great to write a chapter of this length again. I actually finished this chapter in one day! I'm very proud myself! But what can I say, I got motivated.**

**I want to inform all of you that after next week, I can guarantee an update of ten days or less, depending on how long the chapter is. Also, I wanted to start this chapter off with his father leaving him, so you guys can get a better understanding of how his life was and how he started. More of his past will come in later chapters. So you guys will just have to stick around :)**

**Oh, I know some of the thoughts in his head are a bit cheesy during the scene about his past, but I wanted to portray what an eight year old's mind would be like.**

**The only recommendation I have today is "Sister Complex" by Turtle00001. It is a Mass Effect fanfic, if any of you are wondering.**

**Well, until next time, Laterz! **


	7. Goodbye Everyone!

**A/N: And I'm back with Chapter 7, just like I promised!**

**I'll be honest with you guys, I don't really have a lot to say in this Author's note; other than, "School is over in two weeks baby!" But yeah, that's all. Oh, and I think I used the word "Goodbye" way too much in this chapter o_O Maybe I'm being paranoid...**

**Anyway, I'll let you guys start reading...**

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 7: Goodbye Everyone!<span>**  
><strong>

**1 week later...**

_"Ring-ring; Ring-ring; Ring-ring"_ Ahh! Who the hell!

_"Ring-ri-" _I smack the glowing part of my omni-tool with some annoyance.

An orange screen pops up and I'm greeted with an angry looking Lieutenant, named Zabaleta. "What do you want? I'm in the middle of sleep!"

He raises an eyebrow, "Perhaps you didn't realize the fact that we're leaving in 30 minutes?"

Already? I thought we we're leaving on Saturday? I look at the date on my omni-tool.

...

Oh shit...

My eyes get wide at the discovery, "Damn it!" I exclaim, "I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Well, hurry the hell up." He says, "You still need to say goodbye to all your friends and they won't wait here forever!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah..." I turn off our communication link and sluggishly get off my bed, then I move towards my closet.

A lot has happened in the past week... After Jane and I came back from the burial site, the streets we're crowded around Quiyona, and Brannigan. Turns out that while we were gone, they were telling everybody how I was the one that saved all of them. I honestly felt flattered and great that they told everyone. I was ready to take in all of the thank you's and sorry's that would've soon taken place... But instead, they dismissed their claims, because they couldn't believe that a piece of colony trash saved all their sorry asses. Bastards.

Fortunately, I didn't let it affect me much as I was already having a terrible day. So, life went on. There was a little celebration for how we ended up kicking the Batarians out of our homeworld. It was held by the Alliance actually, on their ship: The SSV Einstein. I can't believe I didn't realize it before; the ship is freaking HUGE! No wonder they need to use shuttles. I Don't know what the inside looks like, even though I've already been in there before. It was on bad circumstances, so I wasn't really paying attention to it. I'm looking forward to it though.

Speaking of which; Alliance radio's have been down because of us deactivating our Communication tower. That meant they would be here for a little while, so the crew from the ship has been helping the colony rebuild. They gave spare parts, food, water, and even medical supplies. It took awhile for everyone to come to terms with all the death that took place during the raid, Even me. But soon, we all pitched in on rebuilding everything, piece by piece. I won't be able to see it finish though because I decided to leave Mindoir. Too many bad memories I suppose...

Jane wasn't very happy with the idea, but she understood why. I also ended up telling Quiyona and the old guy, as well as Zabaleta of course. I created a friendship between the two officers, just like I did with the Corporal. The Staff Sergeant and I are mere acquaintances for now. I'm becoming a bit 'nicer' each day... But I'm still an asshole most of the time. I met Quiyona's mother, who seemed to believe her daughter about how I was the one that saved the colony. The Sergeant has a family of his own; a wife and two daughters. They believed us as well; I like all of them already!...

Anyway, Zabaleta agreed and let me stay on his ship until we reached some place called the Citadel. I've heard of it before, but I've never seen it in person. So, I'm kind of excited for that. The day I decided to leave Mindoir, I went to my old house. I wanted to spend my last night there. I began to tear up once I walked into Lunar's room. A wave of guilt rushed over my body and it felt like it was pointing a finger at me and smacked me in the face. I found the drawing she was doing when I left that morning to Jane's house. Heh, heh; now that I think about it, it's a little funny that I used to call this place "The Warehouse". I ended up putting the half finished drawing in my bag and sat at the kitchen table. It was then that I decided to complete it for her. I spent all night trying to get the detail, _just_ _right. _But in the end I finished it. I went to sleep at around 3:00'o clock in the morning (Mindoir time).

Now, here we are...

I quickly put on a white shirt and some cargo pants. This became my usual dress-ware after Lunar passed. My last outfit was really dirty and was covered in... blood.

_Her cold dead eyes staring at me in the face, piercing through my skull. Blood everywhere... God!_ I shake my head at the past memory. I have to leave the past behind and think about the future... But it's just so damn hard to forget...

I bite my lower lip and close the closet door. I guess it's time to say goodbye to this place... I move towards my bedroom door, taking one last look at my childhood room. I can't believe this is it... Exhaling a breath, I close the door and stride towards the living room. I'm not strong enough to go in _their_ room's again. I pick up my bag from the living room floor, with all of my stuff already packed inside, I walk out of the house.

The sunlight almost blinds me because of how bright it is. Damn this hurts! My arm immediately goes over my eyebrows, protecting my eyes from further harm. The sun is really out at this time of day; I wonder what time it is? I open my omni-tool and check.

Hmm... I still have time.

I turn to the designated area and walk towards my destination. I have one last stop to make.

* * *

><p>It didn't take long for me to reach their burial site; being a thief has a way of making you a bit quick and stealthy.<p>

A frown forms on my face as I crouch down to her grave. "Hey Lunar, it's me again. The colony still thinks of me as a piece of shit, after everything I did last week! Can you believe it?" I say it in such a way that I feel like I'm waiting for an answer. When one doesn't come, I lower my head. "I'm leaving Mindoir, so I won't be able to visit you both for awhile." I slowly say. "I'm going to a place called The Citadel! We've never been there before, but I'm very excited to be going, even though I don't know what I'll do yet." A smile creeps on my lips. "I went by the house yesterday and I found this!" I take out the drawing from my bag. "Do you like it? It wasn't done yet, so I finished it for you." I gently place the drawing on her grave and face my mom's. "I also found this," I take out a holo that had the pictures of my mother, Lunar, and myself. "Though if you don't mind, I'd like to keep this one." I stuff it back into the bag and get up.

Well, this is it... "I'll be back though, one day... But in the meantime, Take of Lunar for me, will ya mom?"

...

Shit! My eyes are starting to get watery. I better go. With nothing left to say, I sprint towards the edge of the colony. Time to go say bye to everyone else!

* * *

><p>*Huff, Huff, Huff*<p>

Fuck! How long have I been running! I take a quick gander at the clock.

...

FUCK!

I only have 5 minutes! C'mon! How far is thi-?

Oh! There it is! Okay, I'm almost there, just don't stop!

I pick up the pace a little and reach the loading bay in around 2 minutes... I think. Everyone still appears to be here; I'm glad they waited for me.

My feet come to a halt and my body bends down with my hands pressed against my knee's. "I feel like my lungs are on fire!" I yell for everyone to hear. My head shakily goes up. "Sorry I took so long."

Zabaleta glares at me, "Where the hell have you been?"

I take one last breath before I stand correctly, "I wanted to pay a last minute visit to my sister, thank you." I inform sternly. "Besides, I have enough time to say goodbye."

He sigh's in frustration, "Very well then, just hurry up." He turns and walks back to the ship.

I look in front of me and see that the first one up is Sergeant Brannigan. I jog slowly over to my old friend and plant myself in a position in front of him. He extends his arm and offers a handshake. I smile and duplicate it, firmly grasping his hand and giving it a shake. I can't help but chuckle a little, because this is how we first met; except I didn't shake his hand last time...

"Well kid, it look's like this is it huh?" He asks.

"Indeed," I reply with another smile, "Take care of the colony while I'm gone okay?"

"Will do," he says with a small laugh. He briefly eyes a different direction before facing me, "Just be careful out there kid. This galaxy is far more worse than what you've seen here. The Batarian raid proves that."

I pat his shoulder, "Don't worry, I'll be fine."

His wife then comes out from behind him, "Michael, I suggest you listen to him; the Galaxy isn't something you can just brush off. It's something you have to really be careful with," Is it really that bad? There's gotta be some places in this big-ass Galaxy that has a good society... On second thought, I better take the advice.

I give them a reassuring nod, "I'll take it into consideration. Thanks for the warning."

"We'll see you again someday kid," He finalizes. "Good luck."

Thanks Brannigan, I appreciate that. Giving them another nod, I walk over to the next person.

Wow. I didn't think saying bye to him would be so tough. But I guess I should know that by now, Goodbye's are never easy.

Alright, the next person is... Quiyona. She faces me and tilts her head.

"Hello, 'sir'." She greets. Oh yeah, she's been addressing me as 'Sir' ever since the whole raid ended; It's kind of getting annoying...

"You don't _always_ have to call me that you know?" I annoyingly say. "Just Michael is fine!"

"Why, does is it bother you?" She's using a sweet and innocent voice... This can't be good.

"Yes," I hesitatingly reply.

Wait for it...

"Good!" She snickers, forming a rather devious smile. "If it annoy's you, then I'll do it for the rest of your life!"

There it is! "Well then it's good thing I'm leaving. That way, you can't call me that in person." I send her devious smile back at her.

"Saying it through vid-chat's are good enough for me!" We start laughing together now. I think she's the one I became close friends with the most. I guess I have a habit of being good friends with girls... The laughter dies down and she continues to speak. "You won't be alone at the Citadel for too long. In a few years, I'll be heading there myself to join C-Sec."

What...? Really...?

"That's great!" I reply, "When will you be going?"

She looks around before responding, "As soon as we get this colony back to normal, I'll be leaving the force and heading to the Citadel to start a life of my own." She pauses, "Maybe I'll meet a guy."

A grin forms on my face, "Well... Good luck with that last part. But other than that, I look forward to seeing you again."

"Same here 'Sir'." Argh! Must she keep agitating me with that? Before I leave, she grabs my arm and my head jerks back to where she is. "By the way, make sure to give a good fair-well to Jane. She cares about you a lot." She lets go of my arm and gives me a slight shove to get me moving.

Crap! I don't think I'm prepared to say goodbye to Jane yet. Her figure comes into view ahead of me... But it looks like I've run out of time.

She's the last one... I take a position in front of her. She's got one arm across her body holding her other arm. Then she's got both of her legs crossed as well. Damn, this is gonna be difficult...

None of us say anything, we just stare at each other. I don't think I have the ability to speak right now. Before I could register what was going to happen, she pulls me into a hug, placing one hand on my back and the other behind my head. Both my hands unconsciously claim the positions of her waist. I can feel her warm breath on my shoulder as well as the smoothness of her hair brushing across my forehead. If we keep this up, there's no way I'll be able to let go of her, I don't want to... But I must, so I think I should begin.

"I'll be back soon Jane, so don't worry" I reassure her.

"I know you're lying Michael," she giggles, "But thanks for trying."

Damn it...! "Sorry, I don't like to see you sad... It hurts me too..."

As much as I don't want to, I pull away from the hug only to get mesmerized by her eyes again. Her beautiful emerald eyes... I love them... I...

This feeling again... Ever since I met up with Jane that day, before the raid. Every time I got close to her, this wonderful sensation would come up. It's so amazing that it's too hard to describe, or rather, I can't find the right word for it...

"I appreciate that Michael," She says, "I'm just really gonna miss you..." She looks in a different direction briefly, before facing me again. "You had always been there for me... Whenever something bad happened, you would show up there to help in any way you can. When my dad somehow got me pissed, you show up, always there to comfort me." Well, I did owe her a debt, but I guess it became more than that... Hmm, more... "Sure, you had your moments to infuriate the crap out of me, but you had your reason's for it."

I smile, "Well, sorry for making you mad all those times. Besides, you've been helping me and... Lunar... for a long time, and I still haven't returned that favor."

"You saved my life Michael, twice." She crosses her arms, "You've done more than enough." I should say the same to you, "Oh! And there's one other thing..."

She cups her mouth and whispers in my ears, "Did you know that because you saved everyone during the raid, my friends actually like you now?" Really? That's interesting. I guess they also believed Jane when she told them... "Heh heh, some of them even admire you." she pulls back and begins to talk normally. That is also interesting... I think. "But I told them you were already taken..."

Good, that means-

Wait...

Huh?

I rub the back of my neck, "What do you mean by that?"

Her face becomes the color of a tomato as she begins to play with her hair. "Well, there's something I've been meaning to tell you for quite awhile now..." Okay, now she looks incredibly nervous... "I don't know if you'll find this weird or not, because we've been best friends for a long time and I'm not sure how you'll react to this."

I come closer to her and give a warm smile, "Just say it..."

Her eyes nictate before responding, "Michael... I... I L-"

"Michael, come on! We're leaving, hurry up!"

Fuck you Pierce! You interrupting piece of shit!

"Give me like ten seconds!" I yell back, "I won't be long!" He dismisses me with a wave of his hand, while I turn to my greatest friend. "Sorry about that, you were saying?"

She bites her lower lip and shakes her head. "Nevermind, it's nothing important," Well that's a lie, she looks disappointed... "I just wanted to say... Good luck."

Hmm. "Are you sure that's all you wanted to tell me?" She gives a hesitant nod. I guess I shouldn't push her than... "Alright then. Thank you for everything Jane." I invade her personal space and kiss her cheek, like she did with me during the raid. "Goodbye..."

With this, I move up the ramp and onto the ship. It begins to hover off the ground while I stay in the loading bay, giving one last look behind me. My eyes meet hers... I'm gonna miss her the most... The doors close soon after. Brandon (Pierce) taps my shoulder and says, "C'mon, I'll show you around." He beckons me with his hand to follow him to the elevator. Well, I guess it's time to Say Hello to The Galaxy!

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Aaaand this is where the story kicks off! I would've gotten this one out sooner, but I was debating whether or not I should add more to this chapter. In the end, I decided to put what I already had, into chapter 8. Yes, I've already started it... Just wait a little bit longer, and I'll have it out in no time!**

**Warning: In the coming chapters, Michael will begin to get a bit more soft, but his attitude will not change entirely! For example, He'll still be impatient and sometimes cold...-er. So don't worry about that. I just wanted to establish the effect that Lunar's death will have on him, but also how it won't. I mean, an attitude just doesn't change after a few days; especially if you've had the same attitude for YEARS!**

**Anyway, time for recommendations! If you like an anime called Sekirei; then check "The Hopes of Ascension" by CrimsonBlade11. My second recommendation, if you haven't already read it... Is  
>"Mass Effect: The Hunt" by CallsignReaper01. I know I've recommended it before, but believe me when I say: It's starting to get really F****** good!<strong>

***Ahem* Disregard my text scream please...**

** Well, until next time, Laterz!**


	8. Ship Life Is Cool!

**A/N: *Sniff* *Sniff* Do you smell that? I think it's a new chapter! **

**Wow, I feel pretty stupid for saying that now... Whatever! I mean what are you gonna do; Sue me? ... Please don't... Anyway, this chapter won't have much in it. It's just him getting on board the ship and hanging out with a few friends. And maybe a few things here and there that will come in later chapters as well.**

**Anyway, on another note, Say Hello to The Galaxy has passed 1,000 hits! I have only you guys to thank for that! So, thank you! **

**Not much left to say, so... yeah. Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 8: Ship Life Is Cool!<span>

Oh.

My.

God.

...

This ship awesome!

This hovering piece of technology has four floors in total. Pierce has only introduced me to the engineering deck and the top deck, where the cockpit is located. He says there are supposed to be more of the ships crew around in the last two floors, but that's just too hard to believe. So, he requested that we go there next. Which brings us to the elevator. Yes, this ship, has an ELEVATOR! I know right! How cool is that! It's a shame however, that it goes so FUCKING SLOW!

Anyway, that aside, The First Sergeant mentioned that I'll be staying in Pierce's room until we reach the Citadel. Oh, speaking of the Citadel, it turns out that we have to go to some military station first. I believe my Alliance friend called it, Arcturus Station. Sounds a little turian-ish if you ask me. But, I digress.

Anyway, we've been in the elevator for about five minutes now. Damn! You'd think that with all the technology this ship has, they'd install faster moving elevators! Seriously! If we're not there soon, I might jump out my myself!

Before I begin to ponder thoughts of escape, Pierce speaks up, "So what you think of her so far? Is she a beauty or what?"

Is he talking about the ship? Hmm... "If you mean the ship, then yes!" I reply, "It's really cool-looking and very organized..." I look at the monitor and shake my head with disbelief, "I just wish the damn elevator would move faster than a _Flajer_." His face becomes puzzled and raises an eyebrow. "What?" I ask.

He smirks, "Is that supposed to be some kind of animal on Mindoir?" Duh! Why wouldn't he know that? Dumb-ass.

"Yeah, shouldn't you know that by now?"

"Hey! I didn't grow up on Mindoir, okay! I was raised on Earth," He sends me a slight glare, "So don't be so quick to judge me!"

O...'kay then..

"Well, then I guess the equivalent of a _Flajer_ on earth, would be..." What were they called again? "Those animals with shells on their back, that have hexagons on it?"

"Turtles?" He guesses.

I nod my head in approval, "Yep, I think that's the one."

He chuckles slightly, "heh heh, I get the joke now."

Right... I feel a tad bit awkward.

Luckily, the awkwardness doesn't last long because the doors FINALLY open. Thank god! I rush out of the slow moving platform feeling eager; not because I'm excited about the room though, I was just happy to get the hell off of that claustrophobic piece of shit!

_"Someone's excited aren't they?"_

Huh?

I look to my side and see Gavin, arms crossed, and with one smug looking grin. I wonder what has him so happy...?

"Nope, just impatient... Stupid elevator!" I comment.

He comes closer and gently pats my back, "I know what you mean, but you'll get used to it, especially if you're moving to the Citadel."

Yeah, I guess so... Wait... "You mean the elevators at the Citadel are just as long?" I ask with slight disappointment.

Pierce then decides to come into the conversation, "Longer, actually."

...

SHIT!

Even the Citadel has slow-ass elevator's? No! I refuse to believe that! If it is, then I might consider killing myself!

I must have had one helluva frown on my face, because Gavin then asks, "Hey, are you okay man? You don't look so good." Oh you know, I'm just trying to plot ways on how to kill myself... No biggie.

"Now that you mention it," I put my forearm and over my stomach, "I am feeling a bit hungry..." It's true though, I really am. I didn't have anything to eat before I left Mindoir.

"Well then let's grab a bite to eat at the mess hall," Pierce suggests. I'm gonna go ahead and assume that that's the cafeteria. "But, we should drop your stuff off in your room first." I hadn't thought of that Brandon; I think I'd be lost here without you... smart ass. I nod my head in agreement, keeping my inner thoughts to myself. Gavin does the same before walking off. I'm not sure if I would call that rude or not...

Anyway, Pierce and I got to his room without any more surprises. It's a little smaller than I had hoped, but I'm not complaining. I walk in, taking a seat on the bed that has no sheets. It feels kind of... _Not_ comfortable. I bounce on it few times before Pierce begins to talk, "You get one footlocker," That's more than enough I suppose, "So get yourself settled in and meet me in the Mess."

I turn my attention over to him, "And how exactly am I supposed find it?"

"There are sign around the ship y'know?" I glare at him while he laughs to himself, "I'll see you soon..."

With this, He shuts the door, but not before I can give him a clear shot of my middle finger. Sure it seems a bit mischievous for someone like me but... Oh wait a minute... It _doesn't!_ I smile and begin to unpack. I know I have to hold off on going to the Citadel, but it can't be that bad!

* * *

><p>I managed to unpack my things in about, 7 minutes? Whatever, doesn't matter. As much of an idiot Pierce can be, the signs helped out a lot! I felt like I already knew the ship inside and out! Anyway, I followed the signs until I reached a corridor, which I'm now standing in... I walk forward, hoping that I'm going in the right direction. I reach the door at the end and press the glowing panel.<p>

Hmm. Better than what I'm used to I guess...

There are soldiers everywhere (obviously), not minding anyone else, just talking among friends... I walk in feeling nervous, then look around for any sign of Gavin or Pierce. But you know, it makes things very difficult when _all_ of the guys have the same hair cuts! Damn the Military!

One of them in the crowd then looks straight at me and waves me over. There he is! I walk toward him with my lips slightly curled up. A few people spot me but don't do much else. I quietly take a seat across Pierce.

"Glad you could make it," he snorts, "I hope you found this place without too much trouble."

I wave my hand, "Nah, I found this place easier than I expected," I scan the large dining room, searching around the place.

Where's Gavin?

"Didn't 'Mister Marksman'say he'd be here by now?" I ask.

"Actually," He points to somewhere behind him, "He got here before I did; but he said he wanted to get a 'friend' of his to join us."

"Why add emphasize to the word 'friend'?"

He stares at me, as if he's expecting something. I don't understand why he's looking at me like that, I honestly don't-

...

Staff Sergeant, you sly dog...

I smile at my understanding of the statement and he nods back, "Now you've got it,"

Oh, speak of the devil!

Gavin appears in my line of sight as he exits a room in the back... With a 'friend' too... heh heh.

This girls actually looks kind of cute... Brown hair, eyes that are as blue as the ocean... I bet I could get lost in that ocean... No! Bad thoughts! Bad thoughts!

Besides, she's older than me.

They each take a seat on the other sides of the table, greeting Pierce as they do. Gavin looks to me and then back at the girl. "Hillary, this is Michael Sanders, He was the one who managed to take charge and save his colony." He looks back at me, "Sanders, this is Hillary Boles, our newest team member." I offer a handshake and she accepts it with a tight grip.

"Nice to meet you Michael," God, even her voice sounds so cute! "I heard some interesting things about what you did on Mindoir. I'm impressed..." Her expression changes to a more sympathetic one, "Sorry about your sister though." Oh... yeah. "I mean I know I didn't know her at all, but losing someone always hurts, especially if it's your sibling."

As much as I want to say something, I don't. Did she have to bring _her_ up? I guess she had no way of knowing, but C'mon! Our hands are no longer together and now we're just sitting awkwardly at the table...

"Thanks..." I say slowly.

I can tell Pierce and Gavin were about to speak, but instead, they stayed silent. "I'm sorry for mentioning it, I should have known you were still hurting over what happened."

My eyes meet hers and I give warmest smile I can scrounge up, "It's alright, really. You didn't know, so it's fine." She returns my smile with a grateful shake of her head.

"Okay," Gavin starts, "Now that introductions are done and over with, who's up for some chow?"

*Sigh* I don't even wanna ask why he calls food: 'Chow'. We all nod in agreement and get over to the lunch line.

Actually, it's not even lunch! We got to the end in no time at all, but the only thing the guy gave me was a bag with contents inside of it... Is this what we're supposed to get? Because if it is, I'm not looking forward to seeing what's inside... It's not even warm... I turn around to face my other companions, who seem to be thinking the exact opposite of me... Anyway, we get back to our table and each open our bag. I'm not looking forward to what I'm gonna find in there to be honest. But whatever it is, it can't be worse than what I used to eat.

I rip the plastic off without a second to waste. Hmm. This doesn't look that bad. Inside the bag was, a sandwich with some type of purple gooey stuff in it and a small bar of chocolate. I carefully grab the sandwich, trying not to make any of its contents fall off, and begin to eat.

Hmm, it's pretty good! I take another bite of the delicious grub and find that my friends are stunned by my actions.

"What?" I question, as I gulp down whatever was left of the sandwich.

"You um," Hillary starts, "You actually like it?"

I nod, "Yeah, what's not to like?"

"That's the worst thing we have kid!" Gavin mentions.

"Really?"

"Well, M.R.E.'s are always crap!" Pierce states, "But what you're eating is the worst of it..."

If this is bad to them, I can't imagine how good everything else is! "I like it!"

"How you can you like that?" My newest acquaintance asks.

I guess they deserve to know... "Well, on Mindoir, I never had any money, or _anything_ to live off actually." My mind instantly flows with nostalgia. "And I had a little sister to take care of, so I had to do a lot of bad things... Things she didn't like." I breathe in broken pieces of air as my hands begin to tremble. "It had to be done though... And if that didn't work, then we had to eat leftover's that we found in trashes. You'd be surprised about how many times we got sick because of that..." I shake my head. "But yeah, you get the point." I breath in and out 2 times before continuing. "If it wasn't for Jane, we would have been doing that for a lot longer."

She places a hand on my shoulder, all three of them with a penitent look in their eyes. I guess everyone has scars... "The things you've been through, and you're not even 18 yet. No one your age, let alone a child, should have to go through that. What you've seen..."

I snicker, "Well, I did lead two marines and a police officer through a planetary take back, so I'll be okay." They all seem to smile a little bit, but nothing permanent.

"You got shot a few times..." Pierce quietly mentions.

Shut up!

I unwrap my chocolate bar and begin to nibble on the edge.

_Beep! Beep! Beep!_

What the hell! Did their omni-tool's ring at the same time?

Gavin and Pierce open their holographic display and read their messages. Their eyes both squint before looking at each other. Is that good or bad?

"Sorry," Pierce says, "This is urgent, we gotta go."

"Yeah, but enjoy your stay Michael," He looks to the girl, "Bye Hillary."

After she waves and I nod, they leave the room. Now we're just sitting there... by ourselves. And I feel uncomfortable...

"Well, If you don't mind, I think I'm gonna go get some sleep." I inform her, trying not to sound like a douche.

"Okay then," She replies, "I have to go meet up with my friend Kim anyways." Oh, alright then. I guess this works out for everyone. "See 'ya later!" I wave her off and go to the exit myself.

So far, things are going pretty good. I mean, I get a roof over my head, great food, and I have friends here to keep me company! I like it here...

I walk back the same path I took to get here and enter the room. Aaah, sweet bed... I think I'm gonna go to sleep for a while. Opening my bed sheets, I slide myself under and gently place my head on the pillow. In about 2 minutes... I'm out like a light.

* * *

><p><em>... Where am I? I take a look around, rubbing my right eye as I do, and find myself in a dark empty void.<em>

_AAHH! This place again! Whatever! At least I know what to look for this time. Just find that one spec of light..._

_..._

_Hmm. I'm not seeing any-_

_Wait. That wasn't there before! I squint and see a figure at the far end of the void, almost as far as the light I found last time. Is that a... person? Maybe I should check and see if he, or she is okay._

_I stride over to where he is, trying not to get caught up on how I'm walking on nothing! Seriously, this is so fucking weird! Does the law of gravity not exist in this realm?_

_Anyway, I think I'm almost there. I look up to where the boy was, but... Where the hell did he go? I thrash around my area, desperately looking for the mysterious figure. He could have told me why I was here, or why he was the one who grabbed me in that light last time. More importantly, he can tell me what the fuck he's doing in my dreams!_

_Shit! I can't find him! Maybe he's in that light again... Yeah, I'll just follow the light. I've got nothing else go on anymore. I locate the bright light, and move, trying not to waste anymore time._

_I really wanna know though, who hell is this kid? Well, not kid. In fact, I think he's about as old as I am... Shorter, but still the same age. Maybe he's like a year younger or something? Nah, maybe he's lost... Did I just say that? Nevermind... What was I talking about before?_

_Oh yeah! Whoever this guy is, he better have a good reason for being here. I mean, who comes into the same dream as someone else? It's not possible! Hell, I've never even met this kid! Is he like some kind of dream robber? Great, Pierce's stupidity is rubbing off on me... But you know what? The strangest thing is, he looks an awful lot like me... Expect for a few minor differences, like the length of his hair and the color of it, or the color of his eyes. His eyes and hair are both brown. Mine are blue and black._

_*Sigh*_

_It seems like my life just keeps filling up with more and more questions... _

_Anyway, I arrive in front of the light after another treacherous walk. Okay, let's hope he's in here... I reach into the lit-up circle and the same thing from last time happens again. He grabs me and pulls me in._

_Now, the dark void is replaced by a white one, with me and the boy floating there. Hmm, it sounds weird when I say it like that. _

_We stand there staring at one another, trying to figure out who each of us are. He looks about as puzzled as I do..._

_"Who are you?" I finally ask._

_The boy crosses his arms and opens his mouth, about to speak, before-_

* * *

><p>-before I wake up from Pierce shaking me like there's no tomorrow.<p>

"Wake up Michael! Wake up!" He demands.

I groggily open my eyes and push him off me, "What!" I roared, "Don't bother me while I'm sleeping!"

His face forms into a scowl, "This is kind of important, so I need you to get the fuck up, Now!"

I open my omni-tool, not caring about the illumines light, and check the time, "I need my 6 hours of sleep man and it's only been 3." I pull the covers over my head. "Go fuck yourself," I murmur.

It's now that I feel my whole bed get thrown upside down, and I get to say hello the the floor. Hello floor! Nice, cold, comfy, floor...

"Wake up!"

Oh for the love of-! I get up and glare at him, using my tiredness to assist me, "I'm not someone you wanna fuck with when they didn't get any sleep! Now if this isn't important, I'm gonna shoot you in the fucking foot! You hear me!"

He just gives me a nod as his reply.

"So tell me, what is so important that you have to wake me up right now?"

He puts both of his hands behind his back, "You're wanted in the debriefing room," He begins, "Admiral Hackett wants to speak with you."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Wow! It's been awhile since I've left you with a cliffhanger huh? I know it sucks but I love doing them... I'm so evil!**

**Anyway, There is no excuse for me putting the chapter out later than I originally planned. Laziness? The important thing is though, I updated! I'll make it up to you guys somehow, I promise! After all, school is pretty much over :) As for regular updates during the break, I'd say 5-10 days. If it's any shorter than that, it's because I had a lot of time on my hands.**

**As for recommendations, one I've been reading since a few days ago is "Mass Affect" by CUHnadian. It's pretty good, and I suggest you read it. I also started reading  
>"Mass Effect: Vindication" by Kraidle. I've only read 2 chapters so far, but they're pretty epic! Cliche, but epic! In fact being cliche is one of the things that make it awesome, and that goes for Mass Affect as well. So... yeah. <strong>

**Well, until next time, Laterz!**


	9. Should I Take It?

**A/N: I told you guys I'd make it up to you somehow! I'm back with a nice long chapter for you! :)**

**Anyway, I know some of you are a bit tired of my really long author's notes, so I'll make this one as short as I can. I want to thank everyone one more time for favoriting, alerting, viewing, and especially reviewing! You guys are awesome! And yes, I know favoriting isn't a word...**

**Okay, now that that's over and done with, please enjoy...**

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 9: Should I take it?<span>

"So what does Admiral Hatchet want from me?"

Pierce and are in the elevator, heading towards the Debriefing room, located in the second deck. I'm tired as hell, so there isn't much conversation going on between the two of us. But that doesn't concern me much, because only one question is racing through my head. What does this guy want? I'm not a part of the Alliance, so there's no reason why he should be bothering me... I guess I'll be finding out soon.

The elevator door opens, "Admiral 'Hackett'," He corrects, "Says he wants to speak with you. Beyond that, I don't know." We step off the platform and move through the CIC.

"Is that why you and Gavin left during lunch?" I ask.

He nods, "Yes, He wanted our opinions on something; something important... Well, for you anyway."

Well that answers one question... "And how exactly is it important for me?"

He comes to a halt in front of a door and beckons me to go in, "I guess you're about find out aren't you?"

I send him a glare as I step up to the door. Unhelpful bastard. He turns around and goes into the next room, "I'll be in here in-case you wanna talk afterwards, just, try not be too much of a douche..." He says slowly, "You really don't want to get on his bad side." The door closes and I'm left in this hallway by myself.

Outstanding...

I press the green panel and the door opens, as I walk inside. It's dark in here... Kind of creepy actually. The only thing giving off light is some blinking orange thing in the center of the room. I wonder if there's anyone else in here...? I slowly step up to the center and look around the room, trying to make sure there's no one in here. Oh well, I guess this my only option. Wearily, I click the glowing button and take a breath, expecting something amazing to happen.

_Beep!_

I jump back slightly, as a blue light scans my body. Okay, that scared the living crap out of me... A blue figure pops up on the center terminal, "There's no need to be afraid of a visual scanner."

I look up and to my surprise, there was an old guy with a nasty looking scar running down the right side of his face. He was wearing some kind of elegant uniform, that contained medals, ribbons, and the Alliance insignia on both his hat and shirt. This must be Hackett...

"I'm not afraid, I was just startled," I inform him, "And what was the point of that anyway?"

"So you and I could be speaking to each other in person..." He puts both hands behind his back, "More or less."

"And what is it that you and I need to speak about exactly," I cross my arms, "I take it it's about Mindoir?"

"In a manner of speaking, yes," He tilt's his head, "I'm pretty sure you know who I am already, but I'd like to introduce myself. I'm Admiral Hackett, commanding officer of the 5th fleet in the Alliance Navy, as I'm sure you've figured out by now..."

I roll my eyes, "You'll excuse me for not giving any signs of respect, you caught me at a REALLY bad time." He frowns, "If you're with the Alliance, then why couldn't this have waited until Arcturus Station?"

"You'll be getting here soon, but that's why we need to discuss this now." His voice is a bit more commanding now, "After Lieutenant Zabaleta gave me his debrief on the mission, he mentioned your name quite a few times; said you were the only reason they completed they're mission, _with_ minimal casualties if I may add." So he does talk about me. "He also informed me on how you lead your own squad during this operation; now for a civilian, that's quite impressive. Which then brought me to call over the Marines that worked with you."

"Staff Sergeant Richard Gavin and Corporal Brandon Pierce," I say.

"Indeed," He nods, "They said there was one more person who was on your squad, but she currently isn't there right now. Anywho, they each gave me their own opinions on how you did as a leader, as well as how you did in combat..." he smirks, "They spoke fairly high for someone with no military experience, so that got my attention." He takes out a datapad, "All three of them gave me some of your information and formed it into a dossier per my request." He scrolls down the holographic pad, "There is surprisingly little information here, other than you being a street rat, homeless, your known special skills, and the fact that your an older brother."

"I used to be...", I look away from the monitor.

"Yes, I heard about that as well, I'm sorry for your loss."

"Why would you be?" I shoot back.

"Because I know how it feels to lose someone close to you," He shakes his head, "But talking about this stuff isn't why I called you here; The point is, Your not even an adult, and yet you have the leadership skills of someone who's been in the military for more than 5 years."

"Are you asking me to join the Alliance?"

"Somewhat, yes."

Somewhat? What does that mean? "Sorry, but I'm not cut out to be a soldier."

He scoffs, "I think you disproved that during the attack on Mindoir."

"Maybe so, but I'm not even old enough, let alone educated very well."

"I'll just say it plain and simple than," He states, "The Alliance is working on getting a little more friendly with the rest of the galaxy. So, we decided to construct a program, where people with great potential, could be trained in every skill known to man." He points to me, "You're the only one who's shown the best results so far, even if your biotics could use some work..." I think that's something we can all agree on. "I'm not gonna force you into it though, that's why I'm giving you a choice."

So, it's some kind of super soldier type thing?

"That doesn't answer my question though."

"Should you choose to accept the offer, you'll be taught at Arcturus station," He looks at me with a proud gleam in his eyes, "There they teach stuff you learn at any normal academy, as well as flight school, and boot camp."

"Boot camp?" I ask.

"Its like a course you take once you decide to join the military, to get everyone used to the strain that war puts on them; but most importantly, it's to teach them discipline."

Well that explains that... except for why they call it 'boot camp'.

"Earlier, you mentioned that if I accepted, I would be trained in every skill known to man; so does that _include_ flight school?" He nods, "How long will that take?"

"A few months at best, but that depends on you."

Hmm, "What if I say no to this offer?"

He puts a hand on his chin, "Then we won't bother you again, I'll give you my word on that." He sends a direct glare at me, but not a mean one... "But I hear you're going to the citadel, and you don't even know what you're going to do when you get there yet."

Damn. He's gotta point... "If this program only contains me in it, would I get special gear or something?"

"That's already been arranged, but you're not even close to being ready for it... yet."

I'm no military person, but the offers just keep getting better and better. Alright, let's look at my options... They're offering me shelter, training, education, and most importantly, a future... Plus, they got great food! But, I'll be tied down by laws and such... I'm not really used to that...

I close my eyes and shake my head, "I... don't know."

He sigh's and decides to speak again, "I'll tell you what, that ship you're on docks here in about four hours; so why don't you sleep on it and tell me your decision tomorrow morning in person?."

I drop my head for a moment to think about it and look back up to him.

"Deal."

* * *

><p>I know Pierce said he would be in the next room in case I wanted to talk afterwards, but I just feel like I need to figure this one out by myself... It's a little too much to take in for someone who's been awake for 30 minutes. I think I should take Hackett's advice and get some sleep... I could really use some. I pass through the CIC and click the elevator button. I lean on the door as I hear the platform slowly rush up.<p>

Even if I were to join the Alliance, would I be able to do some good without destroying a life in the process? Because with all that's happened lately, I feel like every time I try to be a hero, it ends up with dire consequences... So if that's what's gonna happen, then what's the point of trying to help people?

The elevator door opens faster than I had anticipated, as I get sent crashing down to the floor. I abruptly hit my head on the wall and rub it gently while I swear to myself.

"You okay?"

I look up and see the doctor staring at me with an eyebrow raised, "Just peachy, thanks."

She offers a hand to pull me up, which I accept with gratitude, and gets me on my feet again, "How's the head feel? Any numbness or things you can't remember?"

I smirk painfully, "Nope, just a head bump."

"Good, well now that we've run into each other, let's do that examination you promised me last week."

Oh crap... "Um, if you don't mind, can we do it tomorrow?" I ask kindly, "I'm really tired right now."

"Then it's the perfect time to do my examination," She states, "I just need to see how your physical and mental stability is."

"That's not gonna hurt is it?"

She stays silent... Damn it. "Not at all," She finally says, "You'll be asleep for most of it because the physical will take maybe around 5 minutes; the remainder of the time is used to scan your brain waves."

I breathe out in relief, "Phew, thank god!" I press the button for deck three, "Shall we head off then?"

"Yes, let's."

The doors close and we're left in silence. Maybe I should start a conversation or somethi-

"I've been meaning to ask, what are doing up here so late?" She asks.

Or you could start one, that's fine too, "I had something important to discuss with Admiral Hackett."

Her mouth becomes agape after I say the Admiral's name, "You spoke with Admiral Hackett?" I nod, "But you aren't even military, why would he want to speak with you?"

Should I tell her? I mean, he didn't say that I couldn't tell anyone...

Nah, it's none of her business, I'll just keep it to myself.

"I don't know," I scratch the back of my neck, "I was half asleep at the time." She gives a crooked smile and looks forward again. "I am thinking about it though..."

"Thinking about what?"

"Joining the Alliance," I cross my arms, "Mainly because, I feel it would be necessary to do so..."

"Oh?" The elevator door opens and we walk to the med-bay, "And what made you think that?"

*Sigh*

"Well, as you probably already know, I'm going to the Citadel," I pause as she gives me her full attention, "But, I don't know what I'm gonna do yet, so why find a job there when I can just join the Alliance, you know?"

The door comes into my sights as she opens her omni-tool, "That may be true, but the real question is: Are you be prepared to give your life for it?"

Hmm...

She finishes doing whatever she was doing and closes her omni-tool. Now, is it a coincidence that the door opened up for us before we even touched the panel? Because if it's not, then I wanna learn how to do that! We step inside the lab and...

Who is that? At the corner of the room, there is a short Asian woman with dark hair wearing a doctor's coat. She's holding a datapad and looks fascinated by what's inside of it. Our footsteps somewhat echo throughout the room, causing her to turn her attention over to us. "Doctor?" She begins, "Your back earlier than I expected," She looks in my direction now and tilts her head, whispering, "New kid."

I'll talk to her about that nickname a little bit more later, but first, "What do you mean, she's 'Back earlier than you expected?"

The nice doctor lady face-palms herself and hides her face in her hands, "Oh no," she panics, "I forgot to get the supplies after I ran into you..."

"Oh, um, sorry?"

She straightens herself up and smiles at us, "It's okay dear, my assistant will perform the physical while I go back and get what we need."

The new girl's face lights up with joy, "You think I'm ready?"

"Yes, but you have to act professional," Her assistant salutes as her eyes twinkle with determination. Someone's a bit too excited aren't we?

"I'll do my best Dr. White!"

"Glad to hear that," She glances at me for a split-second before looking back at her, "Try not to give him any emotional scars while you do it okay?"

Yeah, I don't like the sound of that...

Anyway, she walks out after she finishes that sentence. I wonder what kind of supplies they were talking about... No doubt it has to be medical supplies, because these shelves look like they've been unoccupied for days...

"Alright," Oh yeah, she's still here, "Just take a seat on the bed right there while I go get the kit; I'll be with you in a moment."

"Sure." I reply, as she moves to the back room.

I do as she says and realize, this is where I put Lunar after she...

I get off the bed immediately and decide to stay standing up instead. I think that'd be best for everyone.

She walks back in, holding a red painted metal container in both her hands, "You can sit down."

Taking another look at the bed, I focus my eyes on her again, "No, I'm fine..."

Her eyes widen and she steps a bit closer, "I'm sorry, I forgot..." She swings her head sideways and continues, "Well, then just sit on the chair."

Great, I can do that, "So, I'm guessing you've never actually done a physical, have you?"

"Not alone, no," She admits, "But I have helped the doctor do them before, so I am qualified for it."

"So I won't get stabbed by a scalpel during this test will I?"

She giggles and holds her hand up, keeping the box balanced on the other, "No, but now I'm tempted to." I really hope she's joking... She puts the box on her desk and opens it, taking out something that looks similar to a small hammer.

"Is that all you need?" I ask, "It doesn't seem like much..."

"Well, the rest is no problem, because I can just use my omni-tool for it," She crouches down to my knee and places the hammer a few centimeters in front of it, "So, why are you up at this time of night?"

"Because my roommate Pierce, is a real asshole and has no respect for beauty sleep," I modify my voice for the last two words and manage to make her laugh again.

"Yeah," She says, "Brandon can be a dick sometimes like that..."

That's weird... She just called Pierce by his first name... I wonder... "Do you know him?"

She lightly slams the hammer onto my kneecap, causing my leg to swing up, "Yeah, my friend Hillary introduced us after she became friends with Richard," She does the same routine with my right leg as she continues, "We began to hang out together during shore leaves and eventually became a couple," She switches to the other leg, "Of course, REG's against fraternization got in the way, but that didn't bother us..." Letting out a sigh, she slams the hammer into my knee, "Then he began to change, things happened, and we broke up."

So that's how I know her! Now that I think about it, I remember Hillary mentioning a name yesterday before she left, Kim was it? "Sorry to hear that, but I don't know anything about relationships..."

"It's okay, you had nothing to do with it, but you should probably learn a bit more on that, you'll need it later in life" She says.

"Maybe."

She gets up and turns on her omni-tool, "Stand up please?"

I get off the chair and face her, "Now what?"

"Just stand there while I run a scan on your body," The assistant clicks a few things and waves her gadget up down my face, "So, why don't you tell me why you're really awake?"

A sly grin forms on my lips, "Why would you think I'd lie to you?"

She raises her eyebrow, waiting for me to tell her the truth... Damn, she's good...

"Well, I didn't lie to you about Pierce waking me up, but I admit there was a reason behind it."

"Which is?"

"Why do you wanna know so bad? It doesn't involve you."

She bites her lip, "Sometimes it's better to talk about problems with other people, rather than to keep them to yourself."

...

I suppose I could use the advice... But I'll just tell her as much as I did the doctor.

"Well, Pierce woke me up because Admiral Hackett requested to speak with me, due to the events that occurred on Mindoir," Her eyes widen but go back to their original size in a few seconds. That's better than how the doctor reacted... "He said he wants me to join the Alliance, and to be honest, I've been thinking about it."

"What did you tell him?"

I stay silent for a short time before responding, "I told him, I didn't know what to do yet. So, he gave me the night to think about it and to tell him my answer tomorrow morning."

She crosses her arms, "And have you decided anything yet?"

I shake my head diffidently, "I'm not sure what to decide," I begin to fiddle with my fingers and continue, "I mean, the Alliance is offering me food, shelter, a future; but it's also asking me to change, asking me to follow 'The Rules'. It's just not who I am, being a soldier I mean..."

She uncrosses her arms and shrugs, "Why not?" I raise my eyebrow at her, "You did incredibly well during Mindoir, you have nowhere else to go, and besides, you've already had the combat experience, so why waste it?"

...

Man, this is getting to be too frustrating; I massage my temples... which are now forming into a headache. Crap.

I look away, trying not make eye contact when her omni-tool beeps three times, signifying that its completed its scan.

She opens it up without a word and becomes puzzled by what's on it. That can't be good...

"What's wrong?"

"N-nothing, its just..." She trails off and looks towards... Why is she looking at my head? "Did you know that you have an implant in your skull?"

"No, I only found out recently that I was a biotic."

"Well you have one, but the problem is, it's from a design that I've never even seen before, and I started out by working with biotics at school."

"But that doesn't make any sense!" I exclaim to myself, "Why would I-?"

I'm instantly flashed back with the memory of the scar on my head when I first woke up. I put my hand on the scar and rub it delicately. Did I get the Implant from the Scientist guy? If he opened my skull without permission, I'll do... something!

Her voice brings me back to reality, "What's done is done I guess, but everything else checks out." She smiles warmly, "All you need is some sleep, which is good, because your physical's over."

"Great, 'cause I could use some..."

She points me to a bed with some kind of machine thing sticking out of the head-rest part. Makes sense. I lay down and make sure my head is in between the device. Okay, just put that there, and put this here... I elevate my neck slightly before she speaks again, "Just close your eyes and get some sleep, I'll do the rest."

She tenderly pushes my head down and walks back over to her desk. Time to finally get some sleep... I'm still a little stressed out on what to say tomorrow, but I think I know what my answer is gonna be...

* * *

><p>We arrived at the station in what felt like no time at all. The med-bay was accompanied by the humming of the drive core when I awoke, which was a bit scary at the time. Anyway, when I went to my room, my bag was already packed thanks to Pierce as an apology for waking me up. I want to say I thanked him properly, but I just groaned... I think.<p>

The rest of the ship was secluded, so we decided we to leave as well. Now we're in the elevator... again.

"So, you not stopping by the room last night, wasn't out of spite? You just wanted to think things over by yourself?" Oh yeah, he thought the reason why I didn't talk to him after the meeting last night, was because I was mad at him.

"No, it wasn't out of spite, and yes, I wanted to be alone." An evil smile spreads across my face, "But I did learn a few _interesting_ things about you." He gives me an incredulous look of 'Dafuq'? "I met a certain nurse named Kim last night..." My smile becomes even more wicked, "Would you happen to know her by any chance?"

His cheeks immediately become flushed, "Oh, you, heard about that?" He rubs the back of his neck, "W-well, there was a f-few, uh, complications and..." He looks at me in the eye, "Screw you man, you had thing for your friend Jane!"

Why, I never!

"Believe what you want, '_Dick_'." I say quoting Kim's little nickname for him, "But, I win."

The elevator door opens and Pierce let's out a scoff. So this is what victory feels like... I wish I could have this feeling all the time.

We walk, side-by-side, over to the airlock and wait for the room to pressurize, or something like that.

God. I can't help but wonder how my life is gonna change soon... Whether or not it will be for better or for worse, it's going to be my new life... I hope it's the better option.

The door opens and I'm greeted with Zabaleta waiting for me at the front. Pierce and I exchange glances before walking towards him, "Zabaleta? Did you wait here for us?"

"Actually," He gestures me to follow him, "I waited here so I can escort you Admiral Hackett, he's waiting at the front."

Okay, this is it, Michael... I turn to my friend and pat his shoulder, "I guess I'll see you later huh?"

"I suppose so," The cockiest grin I've ever seen forms on his face, "Just try not to get yourself kicked out of boot-camp, Jane won't like that." You bitch...

Anyway, he waves me off and now, I'm walking with Zabaleta, "So, thanks." I say, out of the blue.

He looks stunned by what I just said, "Why do you say that?"

"For mentioning me to Admiral Hackett, otherwise I never would've gotten the offer."

"Well if that's the case, don't thank me, thank yourself," Huh? "You were the one who got yourself this far, as soon as you reached our compound on Mindoir, this was destined to happen."

I can't help but laugh, "I'm not sure I'd call this destiny, just... a lucky chance."

Admiral Hackett comes into view once we passed all the other soldiers and pieces of cargo. He looks much more intimidating in person, especially thanks to that scar. I wonder how he got that?

We stop in front of him, Zabaleta giving him a salute when we do. Hackett returns it with one of his own and places his attention on me, "So, what have you decided?"

Zabaleta seems to be waiting for my answer as well. I guess I shouldn't keep them waiting...

I step closer and try saluting myself, "If the position is still available, I'll take it."

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><p><strong>AN: There you go, Chapter 9! I hope you enjoyed it.**

**I know I keep giving you guys chapters with just dialogue in it, but that's only because he's just now starting to get everything settled in. The action will come back at around the next two chapters, I promise!**

**Anyway, I'd like to announce that I will be going to a J.R.O.T.C. Summer camp for about 1 week tomorrow... So, I (obviously) won't be able to update until I come back. I think I'm gonna have fun though! Shooting, Archery, and Obstacle courses! Oh My!**

**I don't have any recommendations this time, but I will in the next chapter... Maybe...**

**Well, until next time, Laterz! **


	10. Who Needs a Trainer?

**A/N: Hey guys! I'm back from camp and it was very tiring! In fact, it was so hot that cadets began to get hospitalized due to heat exhaustion... But I know you don't wanna hear about how bad that was. Instead, you wanna read this chapter...**

**Well then wait no longer! Enjoy!**

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><p><span>Chapter 10: Who Needs a Trainer?<span>

**Arcturus Station- East Wing- Michael's Room  
>March 29, 2170<br>Audio-Log 1**

Okay, I'm not sure what to say to this thing... I've never used one before...

I think I'm supposed to talk about my days and experiences or something like that? *sigh* Very well then... It's been, what looks like about, 13 hours since I agreed to join Hackett's-!

Ehrm, I'm sorry _Admiral_ Hackett's super soldier program. Now that I've joined the Alliance, I have to address him by rank... Anyway, a few of his escorts showed me around the station, introducing me to each and every location I'd need to know. I thought it was a big ship as soon as I first stepped on it, but damn! It's much bigger than I ever would've anticipated... I guess that's why it's a station and not a ship... Each wing contains different types of quarters. The North wing holds the operations decks and all that other military mumbo jumbo. The East wing is mainly the living quarters for every one on the station. The South is the docking and engineering decks, not much else. The last wing and also the biggest, is where the Academies for different schools are located. It's where I'll be spending most of my time for the next two years...

Anyway, I actually get my own room in the east wing of the station. It's much better than the rooms on the Einstein, that's for sure. But that's not very important right now, so back to the subject.

While we were traversing around the station, they thought it would be fitting if I met the teachers I'd have for the next year. And I have to say, some of them look like complete douche bags! One of them has a classroom that smells like something died in there and the other just plainly looks like a bitch... I'm not looking forward to any of that...

Hmm, what else is there...?

Oh, they're having me use Earth months instead of Mindoir ones! I don't see what the big deal is but it sure is gonna get annoying...

I don't think there's anything left for me to say, so...

**LOG OUT**

* * *

><p><strong>Arcturus Station- East Wing- Michael's Room<br>April 12, 2070  
>Audio-Log 2<strong>

Hello, I guess... Wow, I just said hello to myself... Whatever. I know its been awhile since my last entry, but like I said before, I'm not very big on using these things. They're pointless if you ask me, but it's not my decision... I'll have to start getting used to that now. He said that I have to start logging once every week, so I can stay with what is currently happening, which I still don't understand...

So, let's go back a little... They made me start going to school, right after I arrived. It sucks total ass! Its not that the work is hard, it's just that none of it makes any sense! I mean, all they ever talk about is how everything we learn here is gonna help us later in life. Funny, 'cause I don't see how finding the exponent of a common factor ends up being an important skill in life! It doesn't bother me too much though, mainly because my other classes are over-rule that one. My favorite ones is probably science and History... But then again, Hackett did say these are pretty much the baby classes...

I haven't made any friends since I got here; I never was very good at making friends. The only reason why I became friends Pierce, Quiyona, and Gavin, are because we were stuck with each other during a war-zone. Now that the Einstein has left dock, I have no friends on this station to talk to, except myself... Which, isn't very healthy.

God... I feel so alone right now... I don't know why... I think this is the first time I haven't had any of my friends around me since Lunar died... I know I shouldn't think about it... But hey, I'm only human...

Anyway, I think I might send Jane a message about what I've been doing. I forgot to mention that to the people back home... Besides, it'll be good to hear her voice again...

Now, for what's been happening recently; Admiral Hackett has informed me that I will begin taking classes, to enhance my focus and stability. In other words, help me control my anger a bit more. I can't say it won't do me any good, because I really could use some help with that. He also mentioned that I'll be introduced to a Marine named... Anderson? Yeah I think that's it, Anderson. He's apparently some kind of Alliance hero from the first contact war. I've never been a big fan for Heroes... But if he can teach me how to do something incredible, then I'll be satisfied.

That's all I have for now, but I think I'll be downloading this software onto my omni-tool...

**LOG OUT**

* * *

><p><strong>Arcturus Station- West Wing- Library<br>April 17, 2170  
>Audio-Log 7<strong>

Alright, looks like the application on my omni-tool is still looking good... I Just need to add a few adjustments and it'll be like I never took it off a dead guy. Anyway, I'm in the Library right now, waiting. It probably would've been better to just do this in my room, but that would defeat the entire purpose of downloading the software. But that aside, someone told me last night that Anderson was going to show up soon. So, as much as I didn't wanna get out of bed, I have to be awake, during his arrival.

It's 5:30 in the morning... *_Yawn_* No one but the soldiers should be awake right now... I can't have breakfast either, damn mess hall is closed. God, I just hope this guy is everything the Admiral says he is...

_"C'mon Sanders, He's here!"_

Well, I guess that's me...

**LOG OUT**

I turn off the software and get up from my sitting place. This better be worth getting me up at 5:00am...

* * *

><p>Looks like they're in the atrium, so that's where we're headed. The atrium is pretty nice; it has a decent view of space and lots of pretty flowers around it... We round the next corner of the hallway, reaching a door as soon as we do. Okay, let's meet this, Anderson fellow.<p>

The door opens and I'm soon engulfed by the bright light of the open spaces. I WAS in the dark, so I can understand why this hurts like a bitch... My vision gets better, me seeing everyone taking notice of me is clear sign of that. Hmm, is that him? Hackett waves me over.

I get into position next to him and look Anderson, straight in the eye. I give the most promising salute I can do after all the practice. Yes, I said practice! Believe it or not, but it actually takes work to do that!

"At ease," Anderson says, breaking me out of my inner argument, "You must be Michael Sanders."

"Yes sir," I state, "That would be me."

"Good to meet you son," He greets, "I'm Lieutenant David Anderson." He extends his right hand out in front of him.

I cringe for half a second when he addressed me as "son"; but ignore it as I accept his gesture. It's not his fault, after all. "So, I take it Admiral Hackett's already told you who I am and what I've been doing for the past month?"

He smirks, "What gave you that idea?"

"Well," I begin, "You already said my name, and stated who you are, so that only means that either you just love giving your name and ranks to people; or because the Admiral told you..."

He raises an eyebrow and eyes Hackett for a brief moment, "Interesting theories you've got there. You'll be happy to know that one of them was correct."

Um... I only had two of them...

"This isn't a very good place for you two to talk, so why don't we go to the training room?" Good idea Hackett, let's go to the-

Wait!

"Training room?" I ask whimpering.

"You'll see when we get there." He reassures.

Aww man... I have a feeling I'm not gonna like this, one bit...

* * *

><p>Yep. I was right... I don't like this...<p>

"So... could you run that by me, one more time?" I plead.

Hackett puts both hands behind his back, "Anderson here, is going to train you for combat, which means he's going to spar with you everyday until his shore leave is over."

Anderson cuts in, "But I'd like to see how skilled you are at the moment, so I know where to start."

"Which means, you wanna fight me right now..."

"Yes," he answers plainly, "So put on something easy to move in, I'll wait here til' your done."

"The lieutenant here is one of the best," My superior officer mentions, "He was the first one to graduate the N7 academy."

"I know I should be in awe or something, right about now; but what's N7?" I ask

Anderson pats my shoulder, "That's a discussion for another day," he says, "For now, just go get dressed."

I nod, jogging over to my room soon after. I don't exactly feel thrilled about going up against a war veteran. Especially one that was the first to graduate this, N7 program! Granted I've never heard of it before, but it's got to be something bad-ass for Hackett to acknowledge it. I wonder if the project I'm partaking in is anything similar to that... I arrive at my quarters and put on my P.T. clothes, which is probably the only good thing to move around in... not considering a birthday suit... (Weird thought) Anyway, I leave my room and quickly return back to Hackett.

"You ready?" Anderson asks.

Letting out a sigh, I respond, "Ready as I'll ever be..."

The Admiral smiles, "Good, step on that platform."

I follow the direction he's pointing to and step on the Circular object. Is Anderson doing the same? I turn to my left and see him doing the same thing. Okay, that answers that question, but where are we going?

The platform begins to vibrate slightly, making me struggle to stay balanced. I regain my stance as it abruptly descends to the dark void of below... I've never seen this part of the ship...! I'm going down a circular tube, it's dark and has bright lights along the sides of the wall. Eventually, the tube becomes clear and I'm met with the sights of an empty room, with squares present at the bottom. What the hell is this place?

We reach the bottom of the tube, which just happens to be a door. Said door, automatically opens as I step off the once moving platform. Okay, now what?

"ALRIGHT GENTLEMEN," Damn that's loud! "WHAT YOU ARE WITNESSING IS A SIMULATION CHAMBER, PINNACLE STATION WAS KIND ENOUGH TO GIVE US THEIR PROTOTYPE TO TRAIN OUR SOLDIERS." Pinnacle Station? "FOR NOW, YOU WILL JUST BE USING IT FOR HAND TO HAND COMBAT, THEN WE'LL CUE UP THE BATTLE SIMULATIONS. SANDERS, MEET UP WITH ANDERSON AT THE CENTER OF THE ROOM. GOOD LUCK!"

Right, I'll take that to heart, I appreciate it...

A giant holographic wave runs throughout the entire room. What in the-? The wave finishes and next thing I know, I'm in some kind of studio, a storage unit from the looks of it...

My omni-tool beeps and a screen with Anderson on it pops up, "Sanders, I'm already at the center, I sent you the coordinates just now." That explains the beep, "Meet me there, Anderson out!"

Okay, thanks, I think. I open the door, following the precise instructions left by my new 'fascinating' teacher. Now, go down this hallway here, there should be another door once I reach this next corner...

Ah, there it is! I go through it and find myself in what appears to be the heart of this 'studio'. And there's Anderson, on top of a dueling ring, waving me over. Here goes nothing... I move closer to the ring, lifting one of the elastic bands and throw myself over. Okay, deep breaths Mike, deep breaths!

"You're here, good," He says putting his hands up, "Now let's get started, hit me!"

I'm a bit frightened by his attitude right now, but I don't think I have a choice anymore. I made my decision to be apart of this back at the Einstein, so there's no going back now! I can do this!

I put my own hands up and charge at him, letting out a cry as swung my arm at him. He dodges it with ease and grabs it, giving it a good twist and throws me back to my starting position. It all happened so fast, I don't even know how I got back here... He's really good... I turn back around to face him. I'm not done yet!

Running at him in my zig-zag formation, I try my luck with some wild punches, and they're aiming directly for his face. I'd like to see him dodge all my punches! With a few movements of his head, my fists that are dying to come in contact with his jaw, gets caught by one of his hands.

Shit...

In a smooth motion, he swiftly moves around my body and makes my arm twist all the way to my back. I yelp out a loud cry of pain that has now been bestowed upon me. Gah! Fuck! This hurts! Now, he's got me in a neck hold, cutting off the sweet circulation of what little oxygen I have left. Before I knew it, My back collides with the ground knocking the wind out of me. Everything goes black after that...

Damn, he's good...

* * *

><p><strong>Arcturus Station- West Wing- Infirmary<br>****April 17, 2170  
><strong>**Audio Log 8**

Okay, that went horrible... I'm in the infirmary because of the sparring match I had with Lieutenant Anderson, which my superiors were happy to inform me, that I lasted a mere 20 seconds in there before I got knocked unconscious... Hackett said it was okay for someone with my experience and my age to do _that_ terribly. But he did say he expected more from me... *sigh* Anderson actually apologized for beating the crap out of me, so that kind of made me feel better.

He said it wasn't his intention to do so much damage to me during a practice run. I appreciate the apology and everything, but seriously! I have 3 broken ribs (surprisingly), A shattered collar bone, and some 'minor' back problems. I think I lost 5 I.Q. points, just from that smack down at the end! Other than that, I just have multiple bruises, nothing I haven't been through before. But thanks to modern medical science, I should be back to normal within a few days.

Anyway, they said that when I'm back on my feet, I'm expected to resume training with Anderson. Believe it or not, but he was holding back! I'd hate to see how bad my next few training sessions are gonna go...

The two things that I've realized today is, One, when you're fighting someone like Anderson, remember to be careful, and Two, I guess there's more to Anderson than meets the eye...

I look forward to the coming months.

**LOG OUT**

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I don't know about you guys, but I definitely wouldn't want to tangle with Anderson...! But yeah, there's a twist! Not only is Michael being associated with Hackett, but he's also going to be trained by the most Awesome, most honorific, bad- ass in the Alliance. Not in the galaxy, because I think it was Garrus or Wrex that owns that title...**

**As for why the chapter was so short, It was originally going to be a time lapse from intervals, mounting up to be a whole year, in one chapter. But I decided to do a few months for this one and to do the rest for the next one. The next chapter is going to be pretty long and will also have some answers in it as well, so I hope you guys stick around ;)**

**I'm sorry it took me so long to post this chapter, I've had a pretty hectic week and it feels like I haven't had a break since school ended. I'll get the next chapter out as soon as possible!**

**Anyway, until next time, Laterz! **


	11. Quality Time With Anderson

Chapter 11: Quality Time With Anderson

**Arcturus Station- West Wing- Mess Hall  
><strong>**May 21, 2170  
><strong>**Audio Log 15**

Damn it! It's been over a month and I still can't land a single punch on Anderson! He says I'm improving, but I think he's just telling me that so I can stop bitching... I can see why he's so respected among the Alliance now. I looked up his service record through the data-bases, courtesy of Pierce for sending it to me as a gift, and he's been through some interesting stuff! He's gotten over 67 medals, and what seems like a thousand accommodations. But now that I think about it, his military history is about the only thing I know about him. Maybe It'd be a good idea to take a break and spend a day just learning about each other. He seems like the type of person who would enjoy a good cup of coffee. I hate coffee, but for him, why not? He's already earned _my_ respect, besides, he looks like he deserves it, I know I do.

Anyway, we've been training for over a month now, but aside from teaching me how to be a good fighter, he's been teaching me other stuff like words of wisdom and things that would help me during combat situations. I got most of them down pretty quickly, but, there is still one thing that he taught me that I haven't figured out yet... It was the first question he asked me on my first day of his teachings: "Who or what, is your Call to Arms?" Which, translates to being: "Who or what is it, that you fight for?" I suppose Lunar was my Call to Arms; but with her gone, I'm not sure...

Hmm...

I guess I'll figure that one out later, but for now, I'm gonna go get some lunch. I'll discuss this Teacher-and-Punching-Bag-Bonding thing with Anderson tonight. I wonder if he'll say yes... In the meantime, I better get used to taking a few more hits... God knows I just got better from the first fight we had. But mark my words, I. WILL. HIT. HIM!

**LOG OUT**

* * *

><p>Okay, I know I said I liked the food, but it gets to be a bit dull and boring as I eat the same thing everyday. Maybe that's why Pierce and Gavin said it's terrible. Can food really get bad tastes from eating it so much? I never would've thought.<p>

Anyway, I'm back inside the gym, getting my gloves on while Anderson stretches on the mat. We haven't been able to use the simulation chamber, mainly because it uses too much power; it is a prototype after all... When I asked why we used it before, they said it was only meant for it to be a test run, for both the software and for my training. It's a real shame, Hackett did inform me that we'd be using it again for a combat simulation when my training is over. They haven't told me much after that, but I'm anxious to find out what else awaits me!

"Are you done yet?" He asks.

I finish wrapping the glove straps around my wrists and face him with a smirk, "Ready!"

He returns my smirk with one of his own, "Good, because I want you to use everything I've taught you in the past month, and use it against me."

Uh... What?

"I don't want you to hold back, and this time, I WILL be trying to attack."

...

Great, I'm gonna die.

I feel a cold sweat run down the side of my cheek, as I think about what happened last time. The last time we did this, he only had me attack him, while he only used self defense... But this time, he's actually gonna try to hit me...

I close my eyes, bite my lower lip, and shake my head. No, I've learned from my mistakes! I'm better now! I just have to remember my training and clear my head... Which I should probably be doing now...

Damn it!

Focus, Michael!

Opening my eyes, I give him a determined nod, "Yes sir!"

He smiles and moves to a corner, while I move to the one opposite of his. He raises his arms, changing his look from one of teacher, to one of a warrior. Scary.

I do the same, muttering to myself to give it my best shot and to stay focused.

His omni-tool pings, signifying that the sparring match has begun. *Sigh* Here we go...

We both circle around the ring, not even daring to lose focus of each other's movements. Anderson isn't stupid, so he's obviously plotting something to take me down in one blow. I should be doing the same. So let's see here...

Charging head on would be the worst thing to do, I've learned that one from experience. My zig-zag won't work either because he's already seen the movement before... I'm agile and slightly flexible, so that'll give me a small edge. I'm gonna have to improvise, as I haven't really learned Formation Eagle yet, not completely. Though that may still be an option.

Now, as for his attributes. He's incredibly fast, especially during a fight like this, so I have to time my movements just right. Knowing every type of martial arts in the galaxy, courtesy of the N7 program, he's practically invulnerable, which could be a problem if I ever want to land a hit on him. So the best course of action for me is to dodge whatever he throws at me. If I can, that is.

In a swift motion, he closes the distance between us, and throws a punch so fast my brain was barely able to register it. I block with my hand, back handing at his face, only to be blocked by his free arm and headbutted in the face. I recoil back from the blow and recover quickly, doing my best to ignore the pain for now. He doesn't seem to care that I got hurt during that, because he just comes closer and attempts to punch me in the stomach. I send it down with my two hands and quickly block his following punch. Now's my chance!

With a growl, I shoot my fist to his face, in the hopes that it wouldn't miss or be blocked. It does, but that doesn't stop me from sending a few other punches his way either. Each goes for different parts around his torso, trying to hit a good pressure point. I'll have to thank yoga for that one. He sends each of them away however, dodging the ones he couldn't foresee. On my last strike, I feel my knuckles barely graze the side of his face. Almost got it... I jump and do a twirl in the air, gaining enough momentum for a strong kick. My heel hits something, but it's not his face. Instead my foot gets caught by the palm of his glove. Oh shit...

In a second, he uses his other arm to get a better grip of my leg and smacks me right into the floor, like a rag doll. I want to say the mat cushioned the impact, but it doesn't feel like it at all! Next thing I knew, I'm on the ground looking at the white ceiling. Hello ceiling... He plants his feet on the floor close to each side of my torso. He crouches down, pinning both of my arms with his knees, taking away any chance I have of using my upper body too. He grabs the front of my shirt and punches my face bringing the all too familiar, crimson taste to my mouth. I have my eyes shut, as I don't wanna witness my defeat a second time.

He doesn't stop punching me, which makes me wonder if he'll ever stop... I feel like a punching bag... Do I dare open my eyes? Lifting my eye- lids willingly, I see his clenched fist collide with my face once more. Why isn't he stopping? His eyes aren't the serious ones that they were before. They look more... sad? Regret, maybe? The last punch he gives, sparks something in me. A picture of Lunar soon flashes through my eyes.

No, I won't go down this time! My biotics kick in, as the blue color engulfs my body. I send the power out like a force, sending him flying off me. I elevate my chest up slightly, then plant my two hands on the ground behind me. I kick the floor and send myself off the ground doing a handstand, then push the floor again with what little strength I had, and land on my feet.

I breathe heavily while the aura begins to lose shape and escapes, finally taking in the toll of damage that has been put on me. Anderson gets up as well, and just looks at me intently. His expression his hard to read, as I wipe the blood off the corner of my lips. My mouth still tastes like iron, which isn't very shocking. My heavy breathing continues for a good 5 minutes, before he stands at ease and smiles.

"Nice job," He says, "You passed your first test."

My facial expression is clearly perplexed while I try to stay balanced. I think I might faint, "What... What do you mean a... Test?"

He walks closer, "Yes, a test," He opens his omni-tool once he reaches an arms length from me and clicks on one of the applications. Soon my wounds begin to feel numb, which gave me the assumption that it was medi-gel. I couldn't find the energy to stay standing up, so I just slowly sat down, and waited for him to continue, "The test was to see if you would use your resources as a fighter in combat, your sources being biotics."

I chuckle painfully, "I probably should have started with that then," I fix my jaw and find myself lucky that I can't feel anything. Thank god for medi-gel...

"Well, that's not all you had to do," I look up at him with an, 'Are you kidding me' look, "But passed that too, I was very impressed with how you did, even if you didn't manage to hit me once."

"Don't remind me..."

"Sorry for all the punching I gave you," He pats my back, "When you weren't using your biotics out of shear thought, I had to beat it out of you..."

His eyes trail off and give off that same sort of sadness vibe from earlier, "Yeah well," I shakily try standing until he helps me up instead, "You owe me," I say with a cocky grin.

He raises his eyebrow and scoffs, "What is it?"

"A day off, with just the two of us."

His eyes widen at my request, "Why that?"

Fixing my shoulder, I respond, "Well, we've been training for over a month and I barely know anything about you."

"Don't you have a copy of my service records?"

Wow, didn't think anyone knew about that... "Uh... yeah, but I wanted to know you more as like a person, rather than just a soldier; That way I won't wound up hating you once this is over..."

He rubs his chin, the universal sign of 'thinking about it', until his head raises, "I guess you're right; it'll be a good chance to learn more about you as well," Before I can say another word, he stops me, "But in one condition."

I scratch my head, "What?"

"I'm in the mood for some coffee."

* * *

><p>"Ha!" I exclaim, "I won, which means you gotta go first!"<p>

We're back in the mess hall, talking over a cup of coffee, which I feel awesome for predicting! Also, I wouldn't say we were talking, more like debating... Anyway, after our sparring match at the gym, we both headed to the clinic and got myself patched up. Nothing some medi-gel and painkillers couldn't fix. All I need now is a good amount of rest. But I, of course, decided to ignore that part. We got the coffee and everything, but we had some difficulty on finding out who would go first. In the end, we just flipped an old Earth coin Anderson had.

"Alright, settle down, son," he says, taking a sip of his drink, "I guess I'll start with something simple; I was born in the year 2137, in London, back on Earth."

"Is that how you got the coin?" I ask, now noticing that it's still on the table.

He picks it up with his two fingers and stares at it with a look of nostalgia, "Yes, but," He trails off, "... You can't get this just anywhere anymore. This one is actually a memento of my grandfather, it was his lucky charm for as long as I can remember..."

"He gave it to you before he passed?"

He nods, "Yeah, but that's enough about the coin, I've already mourned him, so there's no reason to think about it again." If only I could be as headstrong... "Anywho, I joined the Alliance before the First Contact War even started, and I was the among the first to graduate from the N7 program."

I shake my head, "Yeah, that much I knew."

"Did you know that Jon Grissom himself personally congratulated me after graduating from the N7 program?"

...

"I've heard that name before..."

Anderson immediately face-palms himself, "Your not serious are you?" I stare blankly at him, not showing any form of recognition as to who this guy was, "Geez, what do they teach you in school nowadays..." He heaves out a sigh before continuing, "When the Alliance discovered the Charon Relay orbiting around Pluto; They decided to send a ship to see what it was, and Jon Grissom was Captain of that ship," He begins making gestures with his hands, "He was the first human to ever go through a mass relay; He was the leading position during the First Contact War; He even has a daughter..." Did he just blush? "He's practically a living legend!"

"Wow," I acknowledge, "So when he congratulated you, I'll bet you felt pretty damn honored huh?"

"Not only did he acknowledge me," He says, "He also informed me about how an Alien force had been spotted near a mass relay."

"And that later turned into the First Contact War?" I ask.

He nods, confirming my assumption, "It was only until after the war that I had heard from him again..."

"Look, that's interesting and all, but I wanted to know more about YOU, not Grissom," I state.

"Don't worry, it's still about me," Okay, now he's sounding a bit self-centered... "I was the XO of the SSV Hastings, and my team had responded to a distress signal on Sidon." He shakes his head, "Long story short, the planet's scientists were researching illegal data on Artificial Intelligence's, so the Ambassador wanted me to look into it further, which then led me to Kahlee Sanders."

Hmm, Sanders, eh? How Ironic?

"Anyway, when I found out she was Grissom's daughter, I tracked him down on Elysium," I guess he retired? "Turns out, she was being chased by the Blue Suns, a nasty mercenary group, and He had her in hiding. But that didn't stop the Krogan, Skarr," He clenches his fist, "I tried fighting him myself, but in the end, it was Saren, a Turian Spectre that got him."

"Spectre?" I ask.

"Special- Tactics- and Recon, to be more precise," He adds, "They're the Council's operatives and they have clearance to do anything they want, as long as it's within council space."

"Neat!" I smile.

He glances up at me with a look of slight disappointment, "If you don't mind, I'd like to avoid that subject..."

Huh? What's the matter with him? "Uh... yeah, sure... I guess."

"Thanks," He says, "Anywho, I found Kahlee and she gave me a copy of the valuable data she had stolen; In the end, we became, more than close..." There he goes, blushing again! You dog!

"Aaahh, so you two must be together now, right?" I say, teasing him.

He smiles a bit, but it slowly dissipates, "You have no idea, how much I would've liked that; but in the end, we decided not to pursue a relationship."

Oh... "That sucks man..."

He laughs, "Yeah, it does," He leans back on his chair and takes sip of his coffee, "So, now it's your turn."

"I suppose it is," I put down my coffee and cup my hands together, "All you know about me is what I did during the Batarian raid, correct?" He shakes his head, "Well, let me start at the beginning..."

And so, I went on and on about how shitty my life was back on Mindoir... Well, not completely shitty, thanks to a certain red-head... After I had finished reminiscing over the 'good' times I had, we decided it was best to go to sleep now.

* * *

><p><em>I'm running...<em>

_..._

_I don't know why, but, I'm running..._

_Not caring that my lungs no longer need any air, or how, I somehow wound up in a fluorescent garden in the middle of space... Am I on, Mindoir...? What in the world am I doing here? I have no control over my body, until I reach the entrance to a part of town. This isn't going well..._

_I walk through the gate, as the environment suddenly changes drastically. It went from happy trees in a sunny day, into something you see out of a horror flick! It's raining now, a thunder storm to be more precise._

_I keep walking forward, looking around my area to see if I notice anyone. This doesn't go on very long, before I step on something soft and trip over it. _

_Jeez! It's like someone just left their things here on purpose, just to piss me off! I push myself off the ground and pat the dust off my shirt. _

_What did I step on, anyway? __I look down and-_

_HOLY SHIT! It's a fucking corpse! I jerk back at the terrible sight, only to find, hundreds of bodies going across miles of land. But there was one person standing, all the way at the end. A little girl..._

_I take one step closer, and she disappears. Is this Mindoir? Is my brain making me relive it again! I put both hands on top of my head and close my eyes, MAKE IT STOP!_

_I open them and see that the mile of corpses are gone. I breathe out a distorted sigh of relief, stand there, not wanting to move from that spot._

_The rain has soaked up all of my clothes, and the lightning is still tearing up the land. After a few small pep talks, I turned around-_

_Only to find the little girl, Lunar, to be staring at my face, not even one yard away from me. Her skin color is white, blood running down her face, and wearing the same clothing that she wore on the day she died. She's smiling at me, but also frowning at the same time... Is that even possible?_

_She opens her mouth to speak, and it comes out in a low pitched tone, "YOU'RE A LIAR!"_

* * *

><p>"AAHH!" I wake up from my bed, sweating bullets and heaving breath's of air faster than I ever could.<p>

After ten seconds of heavy breathing, I stop clenching the sides of my bed. It was a nightmare... I rub the side of noggin lightly. The whole thing was just a fucking nightmare!

I jump up, when my omni-tool suddenly begins beeping. I press the blinking orange light on my hand and the screen pops up.

...

What the?

"Jane?"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Damn it! Another cliffhanger! Granted, it's not much of one, but it's just a little hint about what the next chapter is going to be about. ;) I be honest with you guys, I feel a little self-conscious about the fight sequence. O_o **

**Anyway, I'm pretty sure, everyone can agree that Michael has had a rough day, no? He got the crap beat out of him by Anderson; Had a nightmare about the ones he lost during the raid; and to top it all off, He woke up in the middle of night, and gets a call from the girl he...**

**Hmm... Not even I know the answer to that question.**

**I just would like to take the time and say that The Amazing Spider-man, was; er, well, Amazing! I won't spoil anything, because I know I would be pretty fricking pissed if someone just gave away a part of the movie. But seriously, watch it!**

**Anyway, until next time, Laterz!**


	12. My Call to Arms

**A/N: Okay, I know the update didn't come out as soon as I promised, but it's only because I wanted this chapter to be a great one! That's why I made this chapter a little longer than my usual rate. I noticed allot of my viewers (Not just on fanfic, but in real life too) want to see Jane come back. Well she's back in this chapter, but she won't be staying after the next one, sadly :( **

**But fear not, for this is a full Michael X Jane chapter! Now, I'm not one for fluff, much less writing it, but I feel that it's sometimes necessary when creating a story. But it is my first time writing a chapter on this, so if it turns out terribly, then please forgive me...**

**Note: I didn't have time to spell check it, so if you guys spot anything, just know that I'll take care of it tomorrow morning :)**

**Anyway, Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 12: My Call to Arms<span>

What the...?

"Jane?" I asked, barely trying to hide my bewilderment.

"Hey Michael," oh my god, her voice sounds so cute!

...

Okay, I'm gonna pretend I didn't say that. I forgot how she sounded like from the long time that I haven't seen her though. I miss that cute nostalgic voice...

"Um, hey," I say, trying my VERY BEST, not to yell the crap out of her for calling me in the middle of the night.

She puts a hand in beneath her chin, "You don't exactly sound too thrilled to see me."

"Well," I begin, "I just wasn't expecting you to call me at-," I look at the corner of my omni-tool and check the time, "3:17 in the morning..."

Her eyes open wide, "Oh, sorry I woke you up, it's around 5'o clock here," Oh right, I forgot about the time differences, "Do you want me to call you later?"

"No!" I exclaim, "I was already awake anyway, so it's not your fault," I rub the crust off my eyes and lazily jump out of bed, "I've been meaning to call you anyways, but I never got the chance."

She snorts, "What, you've been busy working for the past few months?"

"More than you know," I retort.

Her face forms into a scowl, "What do you mean?"

I take a seat in the chair at my desk, "Well, I kind of joined a super soldier program with the Alliance..."

Immediately, her jaw drops like a medieval bridge, "You, what?"

Yeah, I kind of figured she'd react that way, "I was going to tell you once I accepted, but they've been keeping me so busy, it's not even funny!"

"So what do they make you do?"

Huh? I raise my eyebrow, "I thought you'd be more mad at me."

She shakes her head, "Well, to be honest, I'm thinking about joining too..."

"What, really?" I ask, "Why?"

"Yeah," She answers, "I'm thinking about it because..." She bites her lower lip, "My father wants me to take over the farm once I turn eighteen."

"And, you don't want to?"

"Don't get me wrong, I love our farm, and I don't want to leave home; but lately, every time I pass by the barn, all I see is the people we lost during the invasion."

Yeah, I know what that feels like... My thoughts go back to the horrible nightmare I had. The bodies going on for miles, the smell of blood present in the air. And then... her.

"You okay?" She asks, snapping me back to reality.

I shake my head, exasperating a sigh, "Just a nightmare I had."

Then, something must have clicked in her head, "Is that what woke you up?" I nod, "Do you want to talk about it?"

Hmm. I trust her more than anyone in this galaxy, so why not? "It's... it's about the outcome of the attack..."

"Lunar?"

I nod slowly, "I was running through a garden, until I came across a gate that lead into the colony," I lick my lips before continuing, "A storm suddenly hit and the environment turned dark as all hell. I walked forward, until I stepped on something soft. When I looked down, it turned out to be a dead body..." She hasn't said anything yet, probably waiting for me to finish."I turn around and see a huge trail of corpses going on for miles. But there was one little girl left standing, staring at me from afar; I moved about a foot forward and she disappeared behind me." Her eyes widen in sudden realization, "She was Lunar, and she said to me: 'You're a Liar'."

"Michael, there was nothing else you could have done."

"I could have let myself die instead of letting her take the bullet..."

"No," She persists, "SHE jumped in front of the bullet for you; She made that decision, not you!" She pauses, "She chose to save you, just like you already did for her."

Alright, I'll bite, "How so?"

"You were her protector her whole life, and yet you didn't expect anything in return," she explains, "For once, she wanted to be _your_ protector, the moment where you needed one most."

...

"You don't have to say anything if you don't want to," She says, "But just think about what I said, okay?"

In response, I bite my lower lip and turn away, "Can we talk about something else now?"

"Sure, like what?"

I wonder if... No. I don't think Hackett would agree to that... Or maybe he would, "Do you want to come over here to Arcturus Station? You know, hang out and maybe catch a bite to eat?"

She smirks playfully, "Are you asking me out on a date?"

Uh... My face feels like a volcano right now, "Well, um, y-you said it, not me!"

She laughs and asks, "Can you really be allowed to do that? I thought Arcturus Station was only for military personnel?"

It doesn't really surprise me that she already knows about it; she always was very smart, "Not for normal marines, but I get special privileges due to me being their little 'project'."

"Well, if you could get the authorization for me to go, then I'd glad to!"

"Yes," I accidentally say out loud, "Sorry, its just that I haven't had anyone to talk to, except for Anderson, after the Einstein left the station."

"Anderson?" She asks.

"My trainer, teacher, and I guess you could say, my only friend here," I truthfully mean that too.

"Trainer and teacher?" She asks incredulously, "I can't wait to meet him."

"Yeah, he's pretty cool, and can also pack a mean punch!"

She looks around her area, "Well, I gotta get going, but I'm definitely looking forward to our date," she winks at me before the screen closes.

Date... heh heh, right... Was she flirting with me? That last wink keeps playing over and over again in my head. I have to get her over here, so I guess I'll speak to him in the morning.

I can't sleep though. I'm tired as crap on a hot summer day, but I just can't sleep. I don't think I want to either... So, I guess I'll just fiddle with my omni-tool for a little bit.

I reopen my omni-tool and scroll down on the list of files, which contain audio notes, recordings and some other gibberish I can't understand. *Sigh* a lot of this seems pointless. This scientist guy must have been one boring-son-of-a-bitch! I mean look at this: Daily routines, Favorite T.V programs, How to brush my teeth 101, Subject: S, Days of Our Lives-!

Wait! Subject: S? Hmm, that sounds like it could be interesting... I click the file, with my hopes high that I'd find out a little bit more about this guy. Unfortunately, the most unwanted words pop up: file locked, password required. I bring up my hacking programs and try to unlock the safety protocol. That's weird, it's disabling my hack tools... After a few more tries, the error signal just becomes all too infuriating.

Argh! If this thing is locked with a type of software _this_ good, then it's got to be holding something valuable! And I'm determined to find out!

* * *

><p>I woke up from the same dream I had last night, sweating bullets as I shoved my self away from my desk. It was the damn nightmare again... I must have fallen asleep after never opening the lock! I'm gonna help with it, but I don't trust anyone in the Alliance to help with it. Except, Anderson! He can help me! I check the time, seeing that it's only 7:00'o clock. I should probably go pay a visit to Admiral Hackett first, talk to him about letting Jane come on board for a day.<p>

I get up from my chair, put on some pants and zip on my jacket. Then, I make way for the door.

* * *

><p>Okay, it took a lot of persuasion, but I got him to agree to it! He said that we can arrange transport for her to come tomorrow. So, I'm very excited right now! He also told me to expect some news from Anderson, so I'm walking over to the cafeteria now. It's the first place he goes to once he wakes up. I round the corner of the door and enter the room.<p>

There he is! Sipping his coffee, as usual... I walk over to his table and take the seat across from him, "G'morning."

"Damn," He swears, "You look like you've seen a ghost or something; that or you've been turned into a zombie."

I chuckle, "Not exactly, I just didn't get any sleep last night, damn nightmare kept me up."

"Nightmare?" He asked.

"It's a long story, I'd rather not get into it."

"Very well then," He says, "I need(ed) to have a talk with you anyways."

"Yeah, Hackett mentioned you wanted to speak with me," I begin, "but after you're done, I need to talk to _you_, okay?"

"Fair enough, but this is something you might not want to hear," My attitude changes and becomes more serious now, "My shore leave is coming to an end, so I'll be getting off the ship and back into duty in a few hours," A FEW HOURS? He calmly takes a sip from his coffee, "Which means you have to make a decision."

"When exactly are you leaving? And what decision are you talking about?" I impatiently ask.

"I'm leaving at exactly 14:00 hours," He says, "What you have to decide is whether or not you wish to continue your training with someone else, or, do you just want to take the final evaluation test, with me, as your instructor?"

Is this a trick question? The serious expression on Anderson's face has always been hard to read, and today was no exception.

"I'd like to have the final evaluation test," I know I was quick to answer, but I also know that I can't train with anybody else, "When do I have to take it?"

"Are you sure, Michael?" He persists, "You really need to be the best you can be for this program to actually have an effect, and you can't do that unless your being trained!"

"I'm sure," I firmly reply, If he thinks I'm gonna train with someone I barely know, err, again, than he's got a another thing coming!

He frowns at me and sighs, "I don't believe that's the best course of action for you to take, why don't you reconsider?"

"No!" I yell, "I've been training with you for over two months now, and I know it hasn't been a year yet, but damn it I started this with you and now we're gonna finish it," He studies my face for few seconds, "You're my friend Anderson, I'd rather do the test with someone I trust."

He runs his hand down his face, and gives a rather small smile, "The test is going to be held next week, but it's going to be much harder than what I've been teaching you."

Oh, splendid... "Any good news?"

"Yes," He answers, "I will be assisting you for the duration of the test."

"What do you mean?" I ask.

He smirks, "You'll see," you cocky bastard... "So, what is it you wanted to talk to me about?"

Opening my omni-tool, I bring up the file on the screen, "I found something interesting while searching through the old man's data-bases."

"The scientist?" I nod my head, "And what did you find out?"

I click my tongue before responding, "Nothing, it's heavily encrypted; this is undoubtedly the best security software I've ever seen!"

"If you can't crack it, then why don't you take it to Admiral Hackett?" He asks, "He could get the best hackers in the Alliance to open that for you."

I shake my head and move an inch closer, "This data could have something to do with what happened to me, after I got knocked out on Mindoir," I put a hand on his shoulder, "I need the help of someone I can count on."

Slowly, his head moves in an understanding nod, "That's where I come in?"

My lips curl into a smirk, "Exactly, but I need for you to get it to me as soon as possible," He gives me a puzzled look, "I'm just impatient that way..."

He laughs, which then makes me laugh as well. Laughs are contagious that way I guess? After that we just sort of chilled like we usually do. I can't believe he's leaving... I knew he was going to be leaving some time, but this soon? It isn't fair, but when is anything fair in this damn universe.

But now, I have my final evaluation test to worry about. With Anderson leaving today, I have nothing else to do but wait...

I hate waiting!

* * *

><p><strong>Arcturus Station- East Wing- Michael's room<br>May 22, 2170  
>Audio log 16<strong>

Fuuuuck! Why can't I get any peaceful sleep! How do I experience the same shitty-ass dream, every time I close my eyes for a few minutes? God!

*Heavy breathing*

It's 3:12 again, just like the last time I woke up. I don't know why I wake up at this specific time, but it's starting to get on my nerves! I NEED SLEEP! But this fucking dream, won't let me! Damn it, I need to calm down, before my biotics kick in and I blow a whole in the hull...

*Sigh* Well, If I can't sleep I thought I might as well document. So, here I am! Anderson's gone, I saw him off at the airlock, right after we spent most of the day just hanging out. Maybe I'm wrong, but he seemed sort of happy to leave. He always did prefer life with the military; I imagine this was the longest shore leave he ever had! I'm ecstatic that he's happy, but, now I'm alone, again...

Jane's coming tomorrow, so I can't wait for her to arrive! I told her about Hackett's all clear and to be ready for the pick up, to which she replied with a happy smile. Part of the reason I want to sleep is because of her! I want to see her, feel her, and most of all, I want to talk to her, in person. Sure, there's always video chat, but seeing her in person is much better than on a screen. The screen doesn't entirely catch her beauty... Did I just say that? Man, what is up with me today? I'm going to show her around the station, nothing classified, but everything else. I'm not sure what we're gonna do, but talk, heh heh.

Anyway, back to Anderson. He said that during the time he spends on his ship, he'll be trying to crack the encryption for me. He's got some contacts that owe him a few favors, so he says he can get some mods for his hack tool, to give it a try. After all, he's not the _best_ hacker in the world, that much, I know.

Man, it's only been around 24 hours since I had that dream and found that file. Already it's making me crazy! Maybe Jane can help me take my mind off of it. I've been thinking about her allot recently...

**LOG OUT!**

* * *

><p>They're almost here! I woke up to the same dream again this morning, but that didn't stop from getting ready for Jane's arrival. As soon as I got out of bed, I did a series of push-ups per Anderson's training requests. Then, I took a shower, brushed my teeth, and messed with my hair a little to make it its natural style. I'm still happy that I didn't have to shave it off! Once I finished my morning routine, I got dressed and headed straight for the Airlock! I didn't even try to get breakfast, and I NEVER miss breakfast, not if I have anything to say about it!<p>

Anyway, I've been waiting here for about a half hour playing Galaga-X2 on my omni-tool. How this game first came in the 20th century and is still out, is a mystery to me... After awhile, I got a message from Hackett saying that they've already picked her up and are almost here. Pretty fast, compared to the time it took for the Einstein to arrive! But I guess they headed out yesterday, no?

Just then, the airlock door's interface disappears, opening the door.

Jane! I speed walk over to the door, seeing my favorite red-head walk out with a few guards in front of her. She's wearing blue jeans, with a blue jacket to match, her hair was let down to a length that stop at her shoulders and a few strands are covering half of her right eye; she never was one for dressing too girly. Man, even in that, she looks beautiful! She looks around the lobby in awe of how big it is (no doubt). Her eyes locate my position and her face lights up like a Christmas tree. I return her smile with one of my own before she comes charging at me.

Oh shit!

I plant my feet and open my arms as she jumps at in full force. Whoa! I get sent back a little, but maintain my stance. Her arms are wrapped tightly around my neck, while my arms remain around her waist.

We enjoy the hug for a little longer before I decide to break the ice, "Hey, you made it."

She pulls her head back and looks me in the eyes, "No, your hugging a ghost right now."

"Oh? Sarcastic now aren't we?" I say with a generic smile, She gets back into the hug for a few more seconds, "Are you hungry?"

She releases her tight grip on me and tilts her head, "Starving!"

Now, side by side, we walk towards the cafeteria to get some lunch; I just hope they have something different this time...

"So," I begin, "how was your trip over here? Any complaints?"

"It wasn't that bad actually," she stated, "the soldiers were nice-"

"Marines," I cut her off.

She raises an eyebrow at me, "You've changed quite a bit huh? You even got whipped into great shape, much better than the last time I saw you."

"Well, like I said on the phone: I was being trained and cared for, by the Alliance of course, but it's not that bad."

"You _were_ being trained?" She asked

Oh, caught that did you? "My trainer, Anderson, had to leave because his shore leave ended."

She was puzzled for small moment but then went back to normal, "I'm sorry, you two must have been close..."

I nod my head in acknowledgment, "Yeah, but I've already said bye to him, so there's no reason to dwell on it now," I look in front of me and see the entrance of the place I like to call, the lunch room, just because it pisses the marines off, "besides, we're here."

I beckon her to move in first, which she kindly does as I follow in pursuit. We move over to the line and find exactly what I expected. Sandwiches... Aaww well, it can't hurt to take a few.

We both grab 2 turkey-jelly sandwiches and sit at one of the tables. There isn't much conversation between us for while, I'm guessing it's because we were both hungry. Yeah, that's the guess I'm going for. Because I'm so used to eating in a rush, I finish mine as quick as I got it, and wipe my mouth with a paper towel, "So, how's home like? Has it gotten better?"

She puts down her second sandwich, "Not by allot, but still way better than when you left it."

"Well that's good to hear," I say, "How are Quiyona and Brannigan doing?"

"Quiyona and I have been hanging out almost all the time and Officer Brannigan is now currently the chief of Police!" She says.

Alright! Way to go Brannigan! I just wish I was there to see it happen, "That's terrific news, I knew he had it in him! I exclaim, "His wife and kids must be so proud of him."

She swallows the last piece of her sandwich, "They are, the whole town looks up to him now."

"Oh sure, he assists in taking back the colony and he gets seen as hero," I complain, "But the one that actually saved the colony doesn't get squat?"

"Yeah, well, the one who actually saved the colony, was also the one who stole from them for years!" She comments.

Point taken. I just playfully grunt and stand up, "You ready to go take a tour around the station?"

"Of course," she exclaims, "what else is there to do on a military station, with guns, power armor, and martial arts?"

I was about to reply with some sardonic comment, but an idea popped in my head, "Just come with me, there's a few places I really wanna show you."

She nags me about being a little too rush-y right now, but I don't care. I want to show her the studio from where I trained with Anderson; I want to impress her with how strong my biotics have gotten; but I mostly want show her my favorite spot to be at on this station. Other than my room, that is. It's the best view you can find here...

* * *

><p>It's not long before we reach the studio. Anderson's gloves are gone, but he did leave his punching bag. He always told me it was strong, but I never believed him, so I might have to try that later. I switch on the module for the ring, and bring up the screen at the top.<p>

"What's this?" Jane asks, pointing to the screen.

"It's a video I'm gonna show you, of me sparring with my teacher," I put the video on full screen, "this footage was taken approximately 2 days ago."

She take a seat at one of the weight cushions and watches attentively. After making a few more modifications with the options, I took a seat next to her. The bell just rung and now it's the part where Anderson and I were circling around the ring, "Are trying to come up with some sort of plan?"

"Hey, the guy's tough, so this planning moment felt mandatory, I would've lost if I didn't have this moment to come up with a strategy."

"He's _that_ good?" You have every right to be shocked now Jane, even I still can't believe he's this strong, and I worked with him, "There's no way!"

"If you don't believe me, then look at the evidence, and then you tell me," I propose.

She looks at the video intently, watching as the battle starts. Her jaw literally drops when she sees me doing all the stuff I did, which is completely understandable, considering how I didn't know how to fight for jack shit before. Ooh! Even _watching_ him throw me on the ground feels painful... And now, let the punches commence! Huh, I can distinctively see the blood getting spat out of my mouth. Jane is now standing with her hand covering her mouth, she must really be getting into it. The blue aura begins to surround my body after a few more seconds, aaaand there goes flying Anderson!

The rest is just me and Anderson talking, so I decide to end it there, "You let him do that to you?" Whoa, her eyes are, red, "he was beating you to a bloody pulp and you just took that?"

"I would've fought back, if I had any energy left in me," I raise my eyebrow, "Why do you care so much anyway?"

She opens her mouth, but she hesitates on the last second, "Nevermind, let's just go to the next place you wanted to show me," Is she pissed? A tiny smirk spreads across her lips, "That was some biotic power though."

Alright, at least she's not totally mad with me...

* * *

><p>After taking her to several different locations on the station, I thought it'd be best to save my favorite spot for last. I think she had the most fun at the shooting range though. She was amazing with the sniper, I've never seen such a perfect shot! I think she could give Gavin a run for his money! Five targets and they all hit the center point, how does one just, <em>know<em> how to do that? I absolutely suck with the sniper! My eyesight isn't very good for it...

We reach the destination I've been itching to show her all day, and I can tell she's astonished by just the looks of the place! I've only been here once, which was the time when Hackett's guards showed me around. It's basically just a balcony with flowers surrounding it, but it has a window in front of it, so I thought it was nice because I can just sit here and stare at the void, filled with many faraway worlds. I'm sure Lunar would've loved it too. I put a hand on her shoulder and lead her over to the bench in front of the window.

"Oh my, god!" she exclaims, "Michael, this is beautiful, why didn't you show me this place first?"

"I wanted to save the best one for last, though I think you enjoyed the shooting range a little too much..."

"You're just saying that because I got a better score than you!"

"Guilty as charged," I playfully admit, "where did you learn how to do that anyway?"

She slightly grins, "I became friends with the Chief of police, remember?"

My eyes widen in shock, "Brannigan taught you? I didn't even know he was a sniper! When I worked with him on Mindoir, all he used was a heavy pistol."

"Well he is, and I asked him to teach me after you left," I raise my eyebrow, why only after I left? "Ever since, he's been teaching me what I need to know, like how to breath correctly, shouldering the gun properly, and trying not to make the rifle move to much."

"Wow, a hacker and a sniper," I say, "You'd make a great marine, Jane."

She says nothing, but kisses my cheek and snuggles her head onto my neck. We sit there just enjoying each other's company and watching whatever occurs out in space. When she kissed me, I felt that same feeling I had back on Mindoir. It felt good... In fact, I don't think I'd mind getting that feeling all the time. Aah, Jane.

"I'd hate to bring it up, but," She begins, "have the creepy dreams stopped?"

Oh? That's pretty weird to bring up all of a sudden. I move my head a little and she goes back into her sitting position, "No, actually, I keep getting the same one."

"You get the same one, every night?" she asks, amazed.

"Nope," I say, "every time I go to sleep, I experience it again," if it's possible, her eyes get so wide, they look like they're gonna pop out of their sockets, "I end up waking up at the same, damn, time, every night! In the end, all I can remember clearly, is her, and the bodies..." She puts a hand on my shoulder, but I just stand up and put my hand on the window, "It's haunting me, trying to take over my psyching or something, it's making lose my mind! I can't even tell who the dead bodies are, maybe they are the ones that died during the raid, o- or, may they're not! But I'm not sure I wanna find out, because, what if..." She gets up and moves closer to me, "What if your one of them...? It hurts enough to have to see her dead body, blaming me for her death; but to see yours? I'd have nothing else to live for..."

She takes a spot next to me and my body turns to her, my head stays looking down. She puts one hand on my chest, the other gets placed under my chin, and she raises my head up to look into her eyes, "Michael, I'm not going anywhere..." The hand that was previously under my chin gets moved to the side my face, "not without you..."

That feeling I was thinking about earlier becomes much stronger. Wait a minute... Anderson, I get it! I understand now! This! This is my call to arms! Jane, is my Call to Arms... Anderson you sneaky little bastard. My hands automatically go to her waist as our faces begin getting closer.

I can feel her breath knocking against my lips, her hair brushing along my forehead. Her presence is so luring, it's like begin caught by a fishing hook... Our face become so close, our lips are about to meet-!

_Beep!_

The ping of my omni-tool brings us out of the moment as we pull away from each other. Damn it! Who the hell sent me a message? 'Cause I'm gonna kill them! I open my message box and see a message with an attachment from Anderson:

_Michael, _

_If you don't mind, I kind of took a look at the data, and it's something really big._

_It would make sense for you to just read the file, rather than me tell it to you, so I sent the attachment of the code with this message. LISTEN TO THE TAPES, AS SOON AS YOU GET THEM!_

_Anderson, out!_

Oh boy... This can't be good.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: You know what? I'm just gonna let you guys have the opportunity to beat me up for ending it with another cliff-hangar. I was going to add the audio tapes to this chapter, but then I figured that I made this chapter too long :/ Besides, this was meant to be a Michael X Jane chapter, which I hope you enjoyed ;) Like I said before, I'm not one for writing fluff, so I just have to assume I did good. And if this isn't what you guys wanted me to do, then I'm sorry, and just wait a little bit longer, okay :)**

**As for recommendations, I have a bunch! But I'm only going to give two for this chapter, which are, *drum roll*: "The Tale of a Dragon Master" by Solus Skulblaka! It's a pokemon fanfic, which is Awesome and don't allow anyone to tell you otherwise! I'm also helping out with it a little so, yeah. The second one is a Dead Space fanfic called: "Dead Space: Trapped" by Najee. It only has 4 chapters so far, but it is very well written, and he writes in such a way, that the horror can still get to you! :D **

**Anyway, until next time, Laterz! **


	13. Answers

**A/N: Hey guys, sorry for the late update, I've been really busy lately and I apologize for it :(**

**But I'm here now and in this chapter, you're gonna get exactly what I promised you guys :) Of course, you won't be getting all the answers in this one chapter. That would just make me INSANE! Alright, maybe I'm just talking too much now.**

**So without further ado, enjoy! **

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 13: <span>Answers

I stand there, staring deeply at the screen of my omni-tool, while the bones in my body become rigid. I feel like I can't move at all after reading that message. As anxious as I am to find out, it's scaring me a little now. Is this, 'Subject: S', me? Why would Anderson react that way if I wasn't? It's too soon to tell, but I should keep that in mind. Checking the time, I see that it's 10:00pm.

Am I forgetting something...?

I feel a certain tug on the side of my shirt, only to see that it was Jane with a questionable expression on her face. Hmm, Jane... Oh shit! Her shuttle back to Mindoir leaves in a half hour! I have to get her back to the docking bay! It feels like she just got here and now she's already leaving. Should I tell her about the message?

"Is everything alright, Michael?" She asks, obviously worried about me; seeing as how I've been standing there for a good five minutes without moving. Maybe I should... no.

"Yeah, I just have another thing I gotta do once you leave for Mindoir," Yes, I lied. I'm not proud of it, but if this thing can put me in danger, than I don't want to drag her into it as well.

Her eyes twitch for a brief second, "Oh, um... yeah. I just-," She licks her lips, "never mind... Are you sure that's all it is?"

Damn it! I hate lying to her. She know's when I'm doing it too, and she still continues to trust me. After what just happened between me and her, I think I can understand some of it.

But that's not important right now. I have to get her to the docking bay, "Yes, I'm sure, now stop worrying and let's go." I add an extra smile to make myself sound a little more convincing. I hope she buys it...

She pauses for a moment before taking my hand and I notice the most subtle frown get plastered on her face. I'm surprised I even caught it! Guess that means my lie didn't sell very much, "Okay then, let's go." She sounds disappointed, but I don't care right now. That may be harsh to say, but it's just not very important at the moment.

What was happening right before the message was... great. The moment felt 'right' too. I can't change what happened, but I can punch Anderson for ruining it. Maybe not too hard though, you know, since he did crack the code for me.

We walk past the mess hall and make our way to the elevator. I'm not hungry, not anymore anyway. She looks pretty hungry though... Sorry Jane, but we can't afford to wait. I can't afford to wait. We enter the platform and press which wing we'd like it to take us to. My mind wanders off as the creaking of the elevators movement begins.

Actually, what is there to think about? The possibilities for these files are endless! I'm already sure that it has something to do with me, but in what way? Does it concern only myself? Or does it involve my friends as well? If it's got to do with me, then maybe it involves Lunar too? Like I said: the possibilities are endless! No point in even guessing about what those files contain; but one thing is for sure. My free hand that isn't being held by Jane's, get's placed on the scar marked on my head. It'll explain how I got this thing. Come to think of it, Kim said it was a mark from an implant... Still, it'll be good to know what happened for sure.

The doors open and we walk out with little ceremony. My mind is a little too clouded to think about anything else. After walking around in the docking bay for a bit, we locate the ship that's been assigned to take supplies to Mindoir, The SSV Hawking; in other words: Jane's ride home. Arriving at the airlock, my childhood friend stops on the spot. I turn to her, noticing that her head is staring directly at the ground. I move a bit closer and grip her shoulder.

"You okay, Jane?" I ask.

She instantly looks up at me with a dangerous looking scowl that no-one EVER wants to see. Is it weird that I'm scared now? "Are you going to tell me the truth or not? I've been waiting patiently for you to confess what's really been bothering you, and you still haven't said anything!"

Damn, she's pretty pissed. But I can't let her get involved, "I don't know what you're talking about, I already told you the truth! It's just details about my next assignment, nothing more."

"Oh, we both know that's bullshit Michael," She replied with an even scarier scowl, "Do you honestly think that I wouldn't know when your making one of your stupid lies, after all these years?"

Well, I should have expected that one. This doesn't change the fact that she can't know though. I open my mouth to speak, but she interrupts me, "Whatever it is that's making you act like this, I want to help you," She moves a tad bit closer, "I _can_ help you..."

Shit, shit, shit! I want her help, really, I do; but I just can't put her in any sort of danger. She doesn't look like she's backing down though, so I'm gonna have to do something I _know_ I'm going to regret, "Alright, you caught me, I'm sorry I lied, but I couldn't risk anyone knowing."

She frowns, "Not even me?"

Oh crap, here it comes. I make my scariest glare, "Especially not you!" She let's go of me, the color fades from her face as she stumbles back, "And I... I most certainly don't need, _your _help." My last words really made it hit home, and not just for her. This absolutely killed me inside, because I don't really mean it, but she can't know that... I almost couldn't bring myself to say the words...

She's still in shock by what I said, but my expression remains cold as cryo bullets. Her head drops and her hair falls over the top part of her face, covering everything above her nose. Slowly, she walks past me moves towards the airlock. I don't even turn around to see her off. The only thing that tells me of her leaving is the hissing of the door opening and closing. This isn't how I wanted her visit to end...

After standing in the same spot for five minutes, the V.I. of the station announces that the SSV Hawking has left, along with my closest friend... Before deciding to walk back to my room, I despondently glance at the spot of where the ship was.

"Bye Jane... I'm so sorry."

* * *

><p>Okay, time to get the work! I grab all the data-pad's I could carry and pile them onto my desk. I take a seat, turning on my omni-tool and my terminal. I think it would be better to do this on my private terminal rather than on my omni-tool. The terminal whir's for a few seconds before it comes to life. Great, now to just send the files to its data-bank.<p>

Aaaannd... There! The documents pop up on the screen, all forming into one huge folder. Alright, now to send the password... I press a few things on the holographic tool and soon the terminal beeps, acknowledging that it received the code. I guess I can put this thing away then, right? The omni-tool disappears and now I'm met with the darkness of my room, with only the terminal light to keep me company. Good, let's keep it that way.

I crack my knuckles, anxious to finally start this up, and activate the code. Huh, even the code has a sort of secret thing to it, 'cause it's being seen as stars... Oh well, I don't have to know what it is, as long as it gives me access to the confidential's. I send the code and sure enough, a small window comes up with a V.I. saying: "Access achieved! Welcome Dr. Blake!"

Blake, huh? So that was the old farts name. The documents begin to open and as it turns out, they're all video logs! Well that'll make things a tad bit easier. I scroll through each of them, the date specified at the top tells me that these V-logs date back to when i was just a kid! This should be interesting... The last one is dated just before the invasion, or during it. I can't exactly tell because I was asleep at the time! Anyway, I scroll back up to the first video and click on it. Once it's done buffering, a raspy, but deep voice, comes from my speakers:

_Video log: 1  
>Date: 2157<br>Location: Mindoir_

_This Dr. Francis Blake, I'm currently in my new quarters on one of our colonized planets. I couldn't record on the shuttle due to the fact that the helmsman was being a bitch. But that's not important enough to take up an entire audio log. No. My interests are on some of the civilians here. One family in particular. I ran into them while passing through their neighborhood, their son almost hit me with his hover board. His parents apologized for the mishap and offered me brunch. I refused, but they insisted. During the meal, my mind was only able to think about their children. Not to sound like a rapist or anything. Besides, it wasn't their personalities that I was interested in. It was their power..._

Is he talking about Lunar and I? He's not making any sense... How come I don't remember this guy? I better keep listening.

_The girl's powers were unexplained. She's at such a young age and yet she holds some astonishing energy. Energy that I haven't had the pleasure of seeing in my life-span. It has a sort of dark feeling to_ it...

Yep, I think it is. But is he talking about the same Lunar here? The one who was always so innocent when it came to stealing from others? Maybe he's just crazy.

_As for the boy, he has the most breathtaking amount of biotic potential I've ever seen in a human! Did his parents dip him in a pool of element zero when he was born? His biotic aura is ranged to that of an Asari, and for a boy his age, that's quite impressive. I've been studying the Asari for some time now and I know a powerful biotic when I see one. However, he is still human, so he'd still need to be outfitted with an implant, to harness that energy... Maybe I should keep a close eye on those two._

Um, stalker much? What the fuck was this guy's problem? Whatever, he's dead now. But what was it he said about me? My biotics rival those of an Asari? But that's not possible, no other species have biotic powers as strong as that! The Asari are born with biotics, I wasn't. But still... I was only 4 years old at this time, and even then he could sense it. Then how _did_ I get my biotics? I Guess that's a question for later.

I video stops, so I scroll down to video two and continue listening. Once that one's done, I go to the next, and then the next one after that, and so on. Many of them are just mundane stuff, little things. Nothing worth my time, but I listen to it anyway. After a video finishes, I download it onto a data-pad for further study, later on. Sometimes I have to put two in one data-pad. It's not until Video-log #67 that it begins to get interesting again. I click the play button and the video begins to start up:

_Video log: 67  
>Date: 2159<br>Location: Mindoir_

_That fucking Jack Harper thinks he can kick me out of Cerberus! I'm the one helped him start it up! Illusive man my ass! He thinks I'm getting too dumb, that I've been spending most of my time hanging around good people and spying on the Sander's. He wants to see human evolution..._

_***Heavy Breathing***  
><em>

_Well then he's going to get it. Those kids are the next pinnacle of human life. The girl has something that no one else in this universe can fathom! And the boy... Yes... The boy can become the strongest human biotic that anyone has ever seen! They are going to be my life's work! I'll start setting up camera's around the whole colony!_

_***Heh Heh Heh Heh***  
><em>

_Oh yes... From this day forward, I will begin to work on, Project: S!_

...

What the shit? Sounds like this guy became a lunatic. So... we were project: S or... Subject: S. This is the first good V-Log since the first one, but he never mentioned spying on my family in any of them. Maybe he wanted to keep that one to himself? Hmm, the pinnacle of human life huh? It's a shame my life has turned out so fucked up then.

I move the pages down, finding that there's only about 4 more left. Did he just stop recording or something? I check the dates in which they were documented and they were listed as follows: 2160, 2163, 2167, 2170. The last one must be from where he died. I guess it can't be helped, can it? Now this may just be coincidence, but the next one is dated on the day we burried my Mom... I play the next video:

_Video log: 68  
>Date: 2160<br>Location: Mindoir_

_Today is a great but unfortunate day. Great for me, but unfortunate for Subject: S. Their mother, died a few days ago, so today, they decided to bury her. This was an excellent opportunity for me to observe their emotions. There is an old theory that scientists used to say back on Earth: Sometimes, your emotions can determine the power in a person. However, that is not the case, at least not in what I plan to do. I'd like to get a look at there emotional state, so that the projects I've been working on can match there brain waves._

_For Michael (The boy), I'm creating a special implant that can actually boost his biotic powers even further than they already can! Of course, it is just a theory, but I'm determined to make it work, as it will only be able to connect to him. Lunar (The girl) however, Is a bit more complicated. Because I do not know what her powers are exactly, I have to base my project on hope that it will work with her. I'm creating an implant for her as well, but it will be slightly more different than a normal implant. It'll make her powers stronger, but it won't be for biotics. _That_ really scares the hell out of me..._

_Well, I better get going. When this is all said and done, Harper won't know what hit him!_

My hand goes to my head and softly caresses the scar. So that's what you put in me 'ey doc? An implant that can boost my ability higher than it's supposed to... My mind wanders back to the fight I had with Anderson. If I sent him back with just an impulsive biotic push, than how strong is it when I'm at full strength? This isn't answering too many of my questions. It's actually giving me new ones. Now, what I do find interesting, is the way he keeps mentioning this one person, Jack Harper. He keeps relating him to an organization named Cerberus too... Dr. Blake must've worked for Cerberus before they kicked him out, or something like that. That would explain the insignia on his lab equipment.

I grab an unused Data-pad and pull up the extranet. Once I do, I look up the name Jack Harper... Many results. Damn! There must be a way to minimize the list... Maybe, Jack Harper and Cerberus? 'No data available'. Shit! Oh well, I know his name, so I'll just keep that in mind. I download the V-log into the data-pad and continue:

_Video log: 69  
>Date: 2163<br>Location: Mindoir_

_It's been three years since Michael and Lunar had to start taking care of themselves. At first, I couldn't believe their father had taken the offer I gave him. I didn't think he'd take money and a new life over his chidren. No matter. Surprisingly they have been doing well. Something sparked new hope in them today, but we'll get to that later. From what I can see, Michael has chose to take care of Lunar as best he can. Though, because he's at such a young age, he's been stealing, rather than working. It's interesting to see really. He's become much darker, smarter, and also tougher. The camera in their house tell's me that he's trying to keep Lunar out of trouble as much as he can. I was going to offer that they live with me; but the way he began to run things when he found the note his father left him, it intrigued me. Ever since that day, there has been a certain fire in his eyes that just never stopped burning. I'll admit, I feel slightly disappointed with myself now, that I confronted Mr. Sanders that night; but I didn't think he'd take the deal! I guess that's what a 100,000 credits does to a person._

He left us for 100,000 credits...? My hand tightens into a fist. The whole time Lunar and I had to struggle for food, he was living the good life! He didn't give a shit about us! Grrr! But this doctor, he was the one who got dad to leave. He screwed up our lives, but according to him, dad didn't have to accept the deal. Dad... you fucking bitch..._  
><em>

_Anyway, The kids made a new friend today from the looks of it. A one, Jane Shepard, her family owns a farm here. I find it curious how just about everyone in the colony doesn't at least try to help the pair; but yet, she shows them: Compassion, friendly gestures, and even provided them with food. This one should be watched carefully as well... I'm sure they'll keep in touch._

...

...

*Sigh* This recording just loves to bring me sadness, huh? I found out that my father left us for 100,000 credits, which will earn him a good'ol fist-to-jaw conversation, if I ever see him again. Then it goes on to talk about how I met Jane, and how understanding she was of our situation. I remember that day. I'll never forget it... It was the first time someone really gave a damn about us after all.

* * *

><p><strong>7 years ago...<strong>

"Brother, slow down!" She pleaded.

Lunar and I were running away from a security guard that works at a fruit market. Nothing major, just got caught trying to steal some papaya fruit. We were in the favela of Mindoir, not the most poular places for people like Jane, but that's not where we met her anyway. We ran so far that we accidentally ended up in her families land.

"We can't Lunar, we have to lose this fat-ass!" I yelled back through distorted breaths, "C'mon, I know another way around."

She takes my hand without a second to waste, and we run into an alleyway off the corner of Barnaby St. Uh-oh, wrong one! But it does look like we can get up on the roof this way. We both move all the way to the end, and use a few crates to give ourselves something to jump on.

Lunar get's on top first, as I put my two hands on her sides, "Up you go, Lunar," She grabs ahold of the ledge and begins to pull herself up, while I help by pushing the bottom of her shoes. Then, everything goes silent, once I get tackled to the ground.

"Michael!" She exclaimed with terror.

Crap! Get off me, blubber-butt! He's sitting on top of me, pinning both my legs down. Before I have time to notice, he raises his hand and punches me in the face. I'm pretty sure that's blood coming out of my nose. I think my lip is bleeding as well. I don't have time to react before he hits me again, "I don't have a problem hitting a little shit like you! You're just trash!"

That so? My hands squirm around for something blunt, until I feel a long metal object. Perfect! With one blow, I grab the rod, and whail it across his face. The force knocks him off of me, "Then bring it on, blubber-butt!" Ignoring the injury that I, oh-so-proudly gave him, he charges at me. But this time, I quickly dodge to the side and swing the rod once more. It makes contact with his back, him yelping in pain means that it must've hurt, "Is that all you got?" I ask egging him on.

He looks at me with a glare that sends chills down my spine, "All I wanted was the fruit back, but now," catching me off-guard, he takes the rod away and throws it behind him, "I'm gonna beat the shit outta you!" He comes at me so fast, he arm hammers me to the ground and the side of my face feels numb. I don't even register, Lunar jumping on the guy. The security officer screams in pain, while I shakily get up. I still can't feel the side of my face, and tears are beginning to flow from the pain. My gaze sets on the fight between Lunar and the guard. It looks like Lunar is biting him to a point where he's laying on the floor. He repeatedly punches her in the head, hoping that her monster-like-jaw would let up.

I move over to the rod, pick it up, and move back to Lunar. I tap her shoulder, telling her to stop, and immediately, I hit the guy in the head, knocking him out cold. I look to my little sister, "Let's go!"

I get her back up on the roof again, right before the MPD show's up. Once I've reached it myself, one of them grabs my foot. Oh no you don't! Kiss my shoe! My foot collides with his face, sending him crashing down to the ground. Not wasting any time, I run as fast as I can to catch up to Lunar.

She wasn't too far away, so I manged to meet up with her in time. We didn't want to risk getting caught, so we kept running until we arrived in the plantation district. We jump over the ledge of one of the farm lands and stay hidden behind. I'm so freakin tired... And Lunar, she fought that guy when I got knocked down. She got hurt, because of some fruit. Because I wasn't strong enough... I stare at her, once I've refilled my lungs with enough oxygen, "So let's see if this fruit was worth it," I give her a pretend smile, while looking inside my book-bag.

Oh no! The papaya got smashed when the guard tackled me to the ground! Dang it! All that trouble for nothing!

"What's the matter?" She asks, "Where's the fruit?"

I frown at the thought of Lunar not eating for yet _another_ day, "Sorry Lunar, but the fruit has become moosh, and it has a bunch stuff in my bag stuck on it."

Tears begin to well up in her eyes, "But we haven't eaten anything in two days, I'm really hungry."

"I know Lunar, but sometimes-"

"Yeah Dad, I got it, but we shouldn't keep wasting food like this!" A girl yells, as one of the doors open.

Crap! The owners found us! As quietly as I could, I put my arm over Lunar, trying to shield her from being seen. The girl I heard comes out of the door and moves around the back to where we were. She heads straight for the garbage disposal and carefully lifts the lid, until...

***Cough Cough, Cough***

Oh no, Lunar! Dang it, she gave away our position! The girl turns to where the coughing came from, the fear is very noticeable in her eyes. Her eyes are hitting right where we're hiding, I can feel it. Slowly, she creeps over the ledge and sees me, looking right at her. At first reaction, she screams and backs up a little. Crap, if she tells her parents, we'll get caught! I stand up to where I'm visible to see and put my hands up.

"No, no, no, wait! Please, it's not what you think, we were just trying to pass through. We weren't gonna steal anything!" I explain.

"Then why did you try to hide?"

Uh...

"Alright, you got me there; but I am telling the truth we weren't going to steal anything!"

"Who's we?" She asks.

I look back at the ledge, "My sister and I, we had some food in our bag, even if we did steal it," She gives a wicked frown, "I know how it sounds, but we really weren't. We just hid here so that we could eat in piece, but the fruit we had got smashed on the way here," My eyes find their way over to the food she's holding, "We haven't eaten days in you see, and it's just me taking care of her," Tears begin to fall while I continue talking, "you don't have to give me any food, but please, just feed her. She won't survive another day without it, and I can't just sit back and do nothing. Please..."

My head goes down as my sister grabs a hold of my hand. After what seems like mere seconds of crying, the girl lays the food on the ground with a paper towel underneath it, "Here, I never did like wasting food and I'd hate see either of you starve," I raise my head, and she smiles warmly at me, "go on, there's enough for the both of you."

She's... She's actually giving us food out of good will? That smile, it seems... genuine. Not one that's just two-faced. I almost feel like I can trust her. Just as Lunar catches sight of the chicken, she looks to me for permission, saliva clearly dripping from her mouth. I nod, making her smile immensely, before she pigs out. She thanks the girl with the same big smile, and begins eating.

I look to the farm girl one final time, just noticing she has the most amazing green colored eyes I've ever seen. She looks at me as well, and then I mouth out the words: 'Thank you', before I start to eat.

* * *

><p>After that, she said we could come back anytime we want, and that she'll give us some food every two days. Looking back at what she did, I can't believe I said that to her when she left. She always offered to help whenever I needed it most. And I said that to her...<p>

The empty black pit in my stomach keeps growing, as I gulp down the clog in my throat, and play the next V-log:

_Video Log: 70  
>Date: 2167<br>Location: Mindoir_

_Hmm. It seems the two siblings aura has sort of... changed. Don't get me wrong, Lunar still has the dark aura, but she's a saint. Michael has lost that happy feeling in him, instead, it's replaced with anger and rage. However, he has also become more intuitive. Living in a cruel world, with only a few people to trust changes people in that way. He looked so happy back then..._

_Lately, I've been feeling guilty. I mean, I saw the boy get beaten to a pulp the other day, and I had the biggest feeling to go and shoot the bastards. Watching him get beat up... *Sigh* But I had to stay true to my research. I couldn't jeopardize the projects that I've been working on for almost seven years now! The only time he looks happy is when he's around the Shepard girl. I believe they both have a strong affectionate attachment to each other... He also looks better when he's with Lunar, though he may be faking it for her sake._

_He still has them and I'm the reason he found Jane. So I have to believe that some good came out of this..._

Damn. Even the mad scientist noticed it? Did everyone realize what was between Jane and me before I did? Oh well, I guess things changed after today.

Alright, the last V-log. The one dated on the time of the invasion. This will show what exactly happened on the day he died... Here we go:

_Video log: 71  
>Date: 2170<br>Location: Mindoir_

_It happened! His biotics have been unleashed, and he just 'happened' to wound up on the side of my house. He killed a man with just one biotic kick, cracked his head open and broke his spine. Some nasty effect from the use of his powers made him black out. But the day has finally come. It was fate that brought him here and my only wish, is that it had been the both of them who wound up here. Then I would've been able to experiment with both Subjects._

_***Break***  
><em>

_I ran a scan on his brain and it seems like he's trying to fight off something in his head. He's dreaming heavily, which is a good thing because then I can just open his skull and install the implant. This is it. Years of work coming to an end, at last!_

_***Break***_

_The implant has been installed and his brain accepted it quite nicely. He's resting at the moment, I put him in a sleeping pod. It'll be awhile before he awakes again, so I decided to run a few more scans to his blood. Something I've noticed for some time now, just doesn't seem right to me. How come they have no other family? No cousins, Aunts, Uncles, or Grandparents. So maybe there is a chance to make their lives good again. I can send a message out to their relatives, and then they can come by and pick them up. Okay, now let's see here..._

_..._

_Hmm. His blood has a match to... Jon Grissom, his grandfather?_

***Door breaks down***

_*Cough, Cough, Cough* Urgh. Who the hell? "Hey wait! The Illusive man can't do this to me, I quit a long time ago! *A cabinet opening up* *Boom* One more step and I'll shoot another one of you! I'm no longer apart of Cerberus, so just leave me alone!" _

_***Multiple Gunshots* *Gurgling* *Footsteps***_

_"Dr. Blake, your work here has been officially terminated."_

***Gurgling Stops***_  
><em>

Oh my god. So, it wasn't the Batarians after all, it was that organization he mentioned in V-log 67. He didn't even know about the invasion, and he died by something else. I can't help but feel a bit of remorse. Only a little. But, that name he mentioned, Jon Grissom, is he my Grandfather? Anderson told me he only had one daughter, but that could be because he never met the other child. Could it have been my dad? He has the last name Sanders, which I can only assume was Jon's wife's last name.

A smile creeps up on my lips. I still have family members... A grandpa, and an Aunt. My Aunt is Kahlee Sanders... Right?

*Sigh* Well, that's all of the video logs, but I still can't sleep. I turn off my computer terminal and lean back on my chair. My hands go up to my face and tenderly rub my eyes from sleepiness. I need to get outta here, I have to get to the spot. It's the best place I can think of to be alone...

I get up from my chair and grab my jacket, then I head out the door.

* * *

><p>I'm in the elevator right now, still smiling at the fact that I still have family left. Sure, I've never met them before, but that could still be arranged right?<p>

The lift pings and the door opens, but as I turn the corner to where my favorite place comes in view, I see someone kneeling there, with his hands joined together and his eyes closed. My hands go to the pockets of my jacket, while I walk over there. My footsteps must have been loud enough for me to get his attention, because one of his eyes open and sees me. His eyes are blue, something that really stands out from the pigment of his skin. I mean, they are REALLY blue!

His eye closes, as he continues to mumble something. After a while of me just standing here, he stands up and says, "Amen," He turns to me with a smile, "Sorry I took so long, I was just praying for my _Abuela_," He comes a bit closer and puts his hand out, "I didn't know anyone would be here at this time of day, I'm Steve Cortez, good to meet you."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Okay, okay, I know what you guys are thinking, "another cliffhanger, Marcus I'm gonna kill you". But I don't really see this as much of a cliffhanger, you know? Anyway, we got many answers to many questions. However, more questions have been asked due to this as well, so who knows when we'll find out about those.**

**Again, I want to say I'm sorry for taking so long on updating this chapter, but I've been busy, and I've suffered from a bit of writers block D:**

**Recommendations for today are: "I'm the Enemy" by True Neutral. It's a Fallout 3 Fanfic, but it is really 'Lovey dovey'. So if your a fan of that stuff like I am (Sort of if the writing is good) then give it a read. The second one is: "Dark Space: Infection" by MorriganD'eamon1993. It's another Mass effect fic, but it's like a cross between dead space and mass effect. ****  
><strong>

**Anyway, I'll be back sooner than you think, so until next time, Laterz!**


	14. Preparations with Friends, Old and New

**A/N: Hey everyone! Sorry again for taking so long with the update, school starting has been quite a bitch to me.**

**This chapter isn't anything special to be honest. It's just him getting ready for his test. **

**Anyway, I have some stuff that needs explaining, but I'll get to that at the Author's note below. So for now, enjoy! :)**

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 14: Preparations With Friends, Old and New<span>

"I'm Steve Cortez, nice to meet to you," He greeted, with one hand extended forward. I've never seen him before, so he must be ahead of my class, but why does he look younger than me? Skipped a few grades perhaps? Ah, what the hell? He's the first person to try and interact with me, so why not?

I extend my hand forward and firmly grasp his, "Michael Sanders," my hand pulls back, "So what are you doing here anyway?"

He shrugs, "Well, I could ask you the same thing."

"You already did, which means you have a better reason than I do," I reply.

He smirks playfully at this remark, "Touche, but I told you that one as well, if you were paying attention."

"Remind me," I say.

He shakes his head and takes a seat, "I was praying for my_ Abuela_, she died awhile back, so I pray every week for her happiness in the lords hands."

Ah, I see... I chuckle silently, but he seems to catch it, "Is something funny?" he asks.

I motion my hand sideways, "No, sorry, I didn't mean no disrespect, It was just a thought I had."

"What is it?"

I shake my head, "I just don't believe that after everything that's happened in my life, it just doesn't seem like there's this higher power watching over us anymore. I used to believe that, but lately..."

"Well," He begins, "Everything happens for a reason. Besides, what's so bad about your life that caused you to not believe in him?"

"Um, listen," I look straight at him, "You seem like an alright guy, but I don't particularly trust you, so I can't tell you, I'm sorry."

He nods, "Okay, fair point Sanders," There's some silence between us before he decides to speak up, "So, what _are_ you doing here anyway?"

I rub one of my eyes, "Just wanted some time alone I guess, a lot of stuff happened today."

"Oh," He says, "Well, I'll just leave then, sorry."

I shake my head, "No, It's not really bothering me that you're here, you were here first after all."

"Another good point," He states.

"Um," I say scratching my neck, "How old are you exactly? You seem a little young to be in the Alliance."

"And you're one to talk?" He says, raising an eyebrow.

I smile wickedly, "Well I got special treatment getting here, even if I didn't want it to be that way; I have a small history with the Alliance. I commanded one of their squads during the raid on Mindoir," He nodded his head with an impressed look on his face, "Besides, I'm about to turn 18."

"Damn, so that was you, huh? I've heard of you, the Drill Instructors use you as a way to motivate the recruits from doing better," he puts on this weird face expression, possibly trying to imitate his drill instructor, "C'mon you maggot! If a 17 year old kid can fight off an army of Batarian's. than you sure as hell can do 100 pull ups!"

I laugh and click my tongue, "I wouldn't say I fought a whole damn army, but there sure was a lot, and I didn't do it alone either."

He nods, "Maybe so, but the fact is, you were the one who saved everybody, and at the age of seven-teen no less," he pats my shoulder, "that was the thing that motivated the recruits."

I smile at the thought, "Yeah, I guess so, but 100 pull ups? That's brutal!"

"Eh, if anything, the Alliance knows how to train their people well, and they really only want you to do at least fifty of them," He says.

Thinking about the training I did with Anderson, I know he's not lying, "Yeah, you can say that again."

He opens his omni-tool and scowls at it, "Well, it's been nice chatting with you Michael, we should do this again sometime," He gets up from the bench, "But for now, I have to get some sleep; I've had a long day myself."

He waves his goodbye and I do the same. Hmm, I guess I just made a new friend... With Cortez gone, I'm here alone, with only my thoughts to keep me company. Eh, that's what I wanted in the first place anyway. But still, it was nice having someone to talk to other than Anderson on this ship.

* * *

><p>The next morning (4:00am), I put on some gym clothes, and headed straight for the gym. The test is coming in a day or two, so I have to be ready if I want to pass it. Speaking of the test, I have to discuss something with Hackett, because I don't quite understand how the test is going to be. All I know is that it's gonna test my abilities and everything that I've learned since I arrived. Maybe I'll ask him after breakfast.<p>

I go over to one of the place mats and lay it on the ground. Eager to get started, I throw my bag on the floor next to me and begin with some push-ups. I think I'll aim for 300, Anderson would usually give 500, but I'll get there later. I know I'm supposed to stay focused on my training and all, but that's a little hard to do after all of yesterday's events. Man, it's so complicated, that I don't even know where to begin. There's the whole thing with Jane, that I'm not even sure how to handle. I was a dick to her, so how do I apologize for that? After everything she's done for me?

I hit the 100 mark and keep going. Then there's the fact of Lunar having had powers. But what kind of powers were they? At least with mine, it was simple to determine what they were. I some how have an extremely high level of biotic potential. But with Lunar's powers, the doctor said he had no idea what it was, and that it had a dark feeling to it. What power could possibly give out a dark aura? It just doesn't make sense... Aside from that, I actually have family members still left alive. Who would have thought that the people Anderson told me about, would be related to me? Ironic isn't it?

250... On top of all that, there's this Cerberus organization. They were the ones who killed the doctor, so does that mean they know about me? These guys seem real dangerous, killing people in cold blood and not even giving a damn? Let's not forget the mystery person, Jack Harper. Who is he exactly, and why can't I find anything on him? How is he connected to Cerberus?

300! I get off the mat and head over to the punching bag, strapping my gloves on as I do. None of it makes any sense, but that doesn't mean I should stop thinking about it... The gloves are on and secured, which means I can start swinging. I stare at the punching bag and visualize Balak. Then, I vigorously throw the first punch to the side, then aim for his upper torso. Anderson made me memorize the vital points on every type of Alien, even the Quarians! Man, now that was tough, them being in their suits and all.

But in a way, their kind of my favorite. They're the species that interested me the most, once I started learning Alien physiology, and all that other crap. Hell, I even wrote a paper about them! They were exiled from their own homeworld by the Geth, almost 3 centuries ago. Now they wander the stars, gathering any resources they come across, just to keep themselves alive. They even went to lengths of sending their young out on what's called a "Pilgrimage". It's their way of making them experience life outside their flotilla. They fight to survive each day, which reminds me of myself.

Okay, that got off topic... But hey, what can I say? They're an interesting species, a very religious one too.

Anyway, learning Quarian vital points were a toughie, thanks to their suits. Turians can be kind of tough as well, them being a military species, and constantly being in armor all the time. But if you studied their armor layout, like I had to do, then you'll notice a few soft spots, where you can hit them with a nice jab. It's the Krogan's you gotta watch out for.

But whenever I decide to use the punching bag, I find it better to picture Batarians, Balak actually; to channel my anger into the fight. So that I can visualize myself tearing him apart. Limb. From. Limb. My fist glows blue, and the rest of my body soon follows. The way he just killed her in cold blood... I'm gonna make him suffer for it! My last punch creates a bigger impact than I thought, because the sand bag gets sent off the chain and cracks the exterior of the wall. Any harder and it might have went through!

Ah, well, I think that's enough for now. Think I'll do some sit-ups and then go for breakfast.

I go back to the mat and lay myself down with my knees cocked upward. I think I'll go for 400 this time...

* * *

><p>I set my tray down on a table and gratefully pick up the fork, I'm starving! Powdered eggs and bacon are probably the best breakfast the Alliance can make; if you add a drink to it that is. I stab my fork into a few of them and start eating. A little cold, but I've had worse.<p>

Before I knew it, a few more people filled up the mess hall, including Cortez... Who, seems to be coming this way...

"Hey," he says, while holding his own tray of food. My mouth is still full of eggs, so I just nod to his presence, "Why are you up so early? I didn't think you'd be up at this time, seeing as how your supposedly, 'special'."

I gulp down my food and smile, "I get special privileges, but I still have to wake up early, sometimes even earlier than you and the rest of the recruits; like today," I take another bite of my eggs, realizing that their almost finished.

"Oh?" He mumbles, "And why's that?"

I stick my fork up to reply, "Because, I get the tougher training," His eyebrows rise up, "I can't really give you any details, but I'm supposed to be trained at being the best, so I get triple the amount of training you guys do."

"So, are you training to be in N7?"

I shake my head, "Something bigger than that, if you can believe it."

"Nope," he says, "I find it too hard to believe that there's something even more brutal than the N7 program."

"Well, you'll just have to take my word for it," My smile turns into a wicked one, "Which reminds me, you never told me what you're doing in the Alliance."

He squints, "Why do you ask?"

"Just curious."

He grits his teeth, "I want to be a pilot, but not a helmsman either, you know?"

"So you wanna pilot fighter ships, shuttles, and things like that?"

He nods his head, "I just have to get through flight school first, but things are looking good. I even got to take a small field trip with the SSV Hawking, learned all about the A-47 Trident, while I was there."

"Nice," I acknowledge, "You must be a natural at this stuff huh?"

"Well, I don't like to brag but... yeah, I totally am," His grin widens bigger than before, "Why exactly are up early today?"

I raise an eyebrow, "I thought I told you already."

"No," he confirms, "You just told me you get the harder training, and that sometimes, you have to wake up earlier than we do; so why'd you wake up early today?"

Damn, you're one perceptive bitch, Cortez! I smile, "Caught all that did you? Alright, well, I have to prepare for the test that I have in a few days, so I'm just training myself on the things that I already know. Besides, it's better to be awake than asleep in my case."

He scowls slightly, but I just dismiss it, "Anyway, I should get going, I've still got quite a bit of training to do," I get up from my seat and move over to waste disposal to throw away my garbage.

Suddenly, I feel a hand touch my shoulder. Hmm, did Cortez follow me? "Alright, the first thing you should know is that, I don't like it when people sneak up on me."

I turn fully around and notice that it's not Cortez...

It's Pierce, and Gavin's behind him! "I know," Pierce says, "That's kind of why we did it." Gavin starts bursting into laughter, probably because my face looks ridiculous right now.

"What the-? How did you-? But I thought you guys were-?" Damn it, why can't I finish a sentence? They're here Michael, get a grip! "Hey guys, what are you doing here?"

"Wow, you're that happy to see us huh?" Gavin sarcastically states.

"No, don't get me wrong, I'm happy you guys are here, but I'm also a bit surprised."

The three of us exchange greetings, "Well, we're here to help," Pierce answers, "Admiral Hackett told us about how you're going to go through that simulation, and he thought it would be good to test out your leadership skills; so he called us up and now we're partaking in this wonderful event."

Wow, Hackett does care.

"So, both of you are going to be helping me?" I ask.

"Well," Gavin begins looking towards the lunch line, "The girls are here too, but their getting breakfast."

"Wait, so Hillary and Kim are here too? Man, things just got even more interesting."

"The test is in two days, have you been practicing?" Pierce asks.

"You bet, in fact, I was just heading back to the gym," I reply.

The girls then join the conversation, "Then why don't we head on over?" Hillary asks.

"Sure," I say, "It's good to see you guys again."

* * *

><p>We walk inside and the first thing they seem to notice is the punching bag, off the chain, and on the other side of the room. I decide to explain with a quick response, "Well, when I said I was training, I really meant I was Training."<p>

"Yeah," Kim comments, "We can see that."

"What exactly has your trainer been teaching you to do? How to use steroids?" She offers.

I can't help but laugh, "Not exactly; he's been teaching me how to use my biotics in a fight, different kinds of martial arts, that kinda thing."

"Yeah," Pierce says, "You look like you've changed quite a bit since we last saw you."

"It seems like everyone's saying that nowadays," I admit, "But anyway, you guys can do whatever you want, but if I waste anymore time, Anderson will kill me."

I move over to the mat, and begin stretching, until, Huh? Why do they looked surprised? Don't they know?

Hillary speaks first, "You were trained by _The_ Lieutenant Anderson? The one who fought in the first contact war and was the first to graduate the N7 program?"

I nod my head, "Yeah, that's him, but he's just Anderson to me; and he's even going to help me with the test, just like you guy's are."

As I get settled in on the mat, everyone goes to their own station, and Pierce follows me, "Hey, is it just me, or does something seem fishy to you?"

I lay my head back, forming an X with my arms in front of my chest, "And by fishy, you mean...?"

"I mean how Admiral Hackett seems to be making this a little too easy for you, don't you think?" He comes closer and steps his two feet on top of mine, pinning them to the ground, "Seriously, he's giving you squad mates, equipment, resources; hasn't it made you wonder just how hard this thing is going to be?"

"More than once, Pierce," I admit, while starting my sit-ups, "I've thought about that too, and you know what? It scares me a little bit..."

He looks around the room before crossing his arms, "Hey, just between us man, do you feel ready, Mike?"

I shake my head, "Honestly? No, I don't. But you can be damn sure, that I'm gonna give it my best shot."

He smirks, "Well said, and Michael?" I stop, and look up at him, "We all believe you'll get this done, and we know you'll make the right choices when the moments arise."

Unconsciously, a smile appears across my lips, "Thanks Pierce, that means a lot; it takes some of the worry that I have away," I continue with my series of sit-ups.

He squints his eyes and puts on the same look he does when he's thinking about something, "Hey, you know, if you pass this, then you'll be a higher rank than me; which means, I'd have to take orders from you on a daily basis."

"That you are correct, Corporal Pierce," I say between shuffled breaths, "But I don't know what rank I'm going to be once this is over, Hackett didn't tell me that much. I guess he's wanting to keep it a surprise or something."

"Actually," he says, "It's Sergeant, now; I was promoted last week."

"Wow," I reply, with a strained inhale, "I'd get up and congratulate you, but I'm a little tired."

"Nah, that's okay, but maybe later you can buy me a drink."

I chuckle lightly, "Sure pal, no problem."

_Ping!_

The sound from my omni-tool puts a stop to my work out, as I opened it up and activated the communication channel. Hackett's awesome scar practically takes up the whole screen, when his face pops up, "Sanders, I trust your preparing yourself?"

"More than you'd think, sir," I replied, "What's going on? I doubt you called me just to ask how my day is going."

"Right you are," He admits, "I wanted to inform you that Anderson will be arriving tomorrow, as will your test. But we have a problem," Oh yeah, other than how my test has been moved up a day? Right. "We're one man short for your team, and we need someone who can pilot a shuttle. That's why I'm giving you my blessing to choose Recruit Steve Cortez; should you decide to choose him."

Hmm. "How did you even know we were friends?" I say with a frown, "Besides, wouldn't it make more sense if we chose an expert?"

"Yes, but I figure now would be a good time to test him as well, his test scores are off the charts, and I'd like to see him in action personally," one of his eyebrows shoot up, "Hell, he's probably already spoke with you about how he was chosen to pilot ships on the SSV Hawking?"

He was chosen? "What are you spying on me or something?" I reply, confirming what he said. But seriously, it's like they have a camera crew on my ass or something!

He keeps a straight face as he responds, "We're always watching you Michael, where ever you go."

I wonder... "Even in the bathroom?"

...

"Be ready, Sanders, Hackett out!"

"Aye, sir!" I reply before the screen goes dark. He's not one for humor is he? Though I am a little scared to use my bathroom now...

I let out a sigh as Pierce opens his mouth, "You really don't know how to talk to your superiors do you?"

"Shut up."

* * *

><p>Well, the day is finally here. It's time for me take the test that will determine a part of my future. This is going to be the toughest thing I've ever had to do, yet. But you know what? I am fucking ready for it! I walk out of my room, locking the front door behind me soon after.<p>

After the chat I had with Hackett, I spoke with Cortez about what's what, and he decided to join in. He seemed to be really excited about it too. Once that was done, I did some weapon training with Gavin, mainly with the sniper rifle. After what happened with Jane, I realized that I need to start getting better handling it. I'm a bit better, but it feels like I still suck ass with it. Ah well. Anyway, I trained with a few of my other weapons, just some target practice and stuff, but I did it nonetheless. Then we all got together for dinner, and went to sleep after that. It was a really busy day though.

Let's see... I'm supposed to meet them in the simulation chamber. I think I missed Anderson's arrival, but he can't really blame me, I mean it's 3:00am for crying out loud! Giving myself only 4 hours of sleep is not very good for me. I guess it can't be helped though.

It doesn't take long for me to show up, and for everyone to look mad at me, as I do, "You know, I find it ironic how the one who's actually taking the test, is also the only one to be late."

I open my mouth to reply, but a familiar voice responds first, "You'll get used to it, he's late to almost everything."

Turning to the voice's direction, I see that it's Anderson, "Anderson, it's damn good to see you!" I almost feel like giving the big guy a hug! But I won't... Maybe.

"Likewise, Michael, you ready for this?"

I tighten my fist, "Hell, yes!"

Admiral Hackett then steps forward, "Glad to hear it, now let's go through the debriefing," He beckons for all of us to follow him to the holographic prompter. I'm surprised none of my friends have said anything about meeting Anderson himself. They seemed to be going crazy over him yesterday. But I guess they're being professional now. "Alright Marines, listen up! You'll be infiltrating a mercenary base on the planet Zaltoada. We believe they have stolen some vital data from the Alliance. That data has information that could start a galactic war," He put's his hands behind his back, "You are to retrieve it with no casualties and make sure that all the data is present."

"How heavily guarded is this base?" I ask, "Will they be expecting us?"

"The 'Blue Suns', are devoting half of their resources to protecting this data, and yes, they will be on high alert."

I guess we know why he's giving me a whole lot of help, "Will we be going in with any special equipment?"

He presses something on his omni-tool, and a layout of the shuttle comes up, "The shuttle you'll all be flying in will be fitted with plasma guns, as well as it's own multi-core shielding. Basically it'll be able to withstand gunfire easily."

"Until the shielding disintegrates," Cortez comments.

"Correct. As for everyone else's equipment," A few more clicks and the holo-prompter turned off, "You'll all be wearing your own suit of armor, and using standard issue weapons."

Wait... "But I don't have armor yet."

He smirks, "Your own prototype armor will materialize on you, once you step into the simulation. Now, everyone put on those suits next to the sleeper pods."

We each move to our own pod, strapping on our own suits as we do, "What are these for, sir?" Anderson asks.

"These suits will analyze everything that's you and put it in the virtual simulation, while your actual self stays asleep," My C.O. explains.

"Virtual simulation? I was told we were going to use the chamber," I reply

"Originally, that's what were planning on doing, but then we figured we had to make it tougher. Which also means, the location had to be much bigger," He puts his hand's behind his back, "It'll be exactly the same, even the gunfire will hurt. It'll be just as if you were actually there."

The pods begin opening and we decide to settle ourselves in, "Oh, and if you die, you'll wake up here, but you'll still be in a great amount of pain," My god, they really want me to fail don't they? It makes me wonder why my friends are even doing this, "I'll be watching your progress from here. Good luck."

Slowly, the pod's door begins to close, and before I know it, I'm out like a light...

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Holy shiz-nits! I don't believe that's a cliff hangar is it? At least, I don't think it is...**

**Like I said, the chapter wasn't much, but I hope you enjoyed it :). As for the bad news... The next chapter is going to be a long one, maybe not as long as my chapter 5, but I don't know for sure. But with school and all, it's going to take some time for me to write it. I know it sucks, but school has to come first, and I hope you guys can understand that. Any chance I get some free time, I'll use it to write, okay?**

**Now, recommendations everyone! The first one's called: "Pedestal," By Digital Skitty. It's a Pokemon fanfic, but it's insanely good! The second is called: "Lay It On The Line," By dirtdevil76. A fanfiction from one of the greatest shows I know: 'Supernatural'.**

**Anyway, until next time, Laterz!**


	15. The Test

**A/N: Hey guys! I know I warned you about taking so long to update this in the last chapter, but I feel like I'm still obligated to say sorry :( **

**Like I said before, this chapter is solely focused on his test and nothing more. The base that they infiltrate in this "Mission" is entirely my imagination. It has never been used in any of the books or the Games... However, I do not own the characters: Anderson, Steve Cortez, Admiral Hackett, and The Blue Suns. Bioware owns all of them. I'm just saying this now because I forgot to do some of the other disclaimers in earlier chapters.**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoy! ;) **

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 15: The Test<span>

I open my eyelids with a slight gasp for air and find myself inside a shuttle, holding onto a bar built on the top. I guess the simulation process went smoothly? I take a moment to look around the shuttle, which doesn't take very long apparently, because I find everyone at the same time with just one look. They're all in armor and have their weapons secured on their magnetic holsters. Speaking of their armor, they look pretty fucking cool, aside from Cortez, who seems to be wearing the same thing... Huh. Anderson's not wearing any armor either, just some battle type clothing. Hillary seems to be wearing the standard issue, and Kim is using a special type of armor, shaped for medical personnel only. Pierce and Gavin are wearing the same thing from Mindoir.

"Hey guys," I began, "Nice armor!"

"Speak for yourself," Anderson says. It's only now that I feel a particular weight being pushed against my body, and everyone else seems to be marveling it. Except for Anderson that is... I look down to finally take a peek at my own armor and... holy crap..!

This suit is fucking AWESOME! It's like nothing I've ever seen before! It's got a part of the chest piece sticking out, with words being displayed on it. Could be the suits diagnostics... It's got rocket thruster's on the bottom of the boots and a few flaps on the back, probably to help with directional stability. But there's one thing that seems to be missing, "Where's the helmet?" Right after I say this, I feel my suit start to hum slightly, and then the parts on my back and around my neck begin to move in unison. What in the...? In panic, I simply stand still and wait for something to happen. The parts begin to combine, and ends up covering my face. The next thing I know, I'm enclosed inside my helmet and can only see everyone through the glass that has been put in front of my eyes. "Okay, this is too cool," I say, my voice sounding all robotic like.

"Ahem!" Someone says, who turns out to be Anderson. Right, I should start the debriefing...

"Okay, okay," I manage to get my helmet down and then focus my attention to my shuttle pilot, "Cortez, are there any scans of the base inside this shuttle?" Maybe Hackett threw us a bone?

"Already checked, sir! I'm sending it to your omni-tool now." He replies.

Alright! Hackett gave us something to go on! "Roger that Cortez," I open my omni-tool and bring it up for everyone to see. It's a very big complex, probably 2 miles in length, and who knows how far down it is? Plus, there's this huge spire standing in the far north, practically ripping through the sky. It doesn't look like there's another way to get in there, so we'll probably have to take the main route through the base. According to our intel, they'll be expecting us, which means we're gonna need to know what their plans are. We're also gonna have to take out any enemy foot patrols surrounding the base. Maybe if... Hmm. "Alright, here's how it's gonna go down: Before we do anything, we have to eliminate anyone surrounding the complex and jack into their communications; that way we can figure out what their up to," I point to Gavin, "This is your job Staff Sergeant, taking out those patrols are a priority. That way, the ones inside won't have reinforcements, but try to do it quietly. Hillary will accompany you to hack into their radio." They both nod in response. "You'll be taking the ones guarding the west side of the perimeter first, we'll be dropped off their and enter through the roof."

"Permission to speak, sir?" Gavin requests.

"Granted."

"Sir, if we're to eliminate all possible enemy patrols, we're going to need more medical supplies. Wouldn't it be more productive if Serviceman Kim came along instead?"

I shake my head, "Negative, while what you say is true, we're gonna need her once we enter the base. But, an extra pack of medi-gel will be given to each of you," At the corner of my eye, I can see Kim already sending it to them, "Anyway, once you're done, I want you to set up a position in front of the the entrance, keep anyone else from leaving the building."

"Aye, Sir!" They acknowledge at the same time.

I turn my attention over to my other squad mates, "While they're doing that, it'll give us enough time to sneak into the facility."

"Aaand, how exactly do you propose we do that?" Pierce asks, "I doubt we can just walk in through the front entrance."

Before I have a chance to answer, Anderson speaks up, "Well, my recommendation is for us to take the venting system from above the building," You read my mind Anderson, "From the looks of it, there's a path that leads to the west wing of the facility. I say we head there and work our way through."

Pierce shakes his head, "I agree, but I think I know how to make our odds even better," Oh? This should be interesting. He Taps a few things on his omni-tool and a new pathway lights up green, "You see this right here? That's the center control room. If we can get over there, we'll have eyes on everything in there."

"Good catch, Sergeant," I say, deciding to commend him, "You just volunteered for the job. You'll go in by yourself to the control room and be our eyes and ears," If this catches him by surprise, he doesn't show it, "Once your in, I want you to seal the entrance to that room with a code that not even God himself will know, understood?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Alright, ladies and gentlemen, lock and load!"

"Approaching drop point one, sir!" Cortez informs us. I simply nod to Gavin and Hillary as the shuttle door opens and they depart. I move over to a compartment and grab the weapons I believe I'll be needing. Let's see, I'll take the M-96 Mattock, the M-22 Eviscerator, and...

"Here!"

My head turns to Anderson, his hand holding an M-6 Carnifex in front of me. I guess he just filled in that spot... I take it with a nod gratitude, and holster it on my side. After that, we get in position in front of the door, and wait for Gavin to give the all clear for us to move in, "You nervous?" He asks.

I'd like to respond with a: 'Fuck Yes!' But I have to set a good example for my team, "Not really, I know this plan will work, but I'm just afraid we'll lose people..."

He puts a hand on my shoulder, "Whatever happens, we got your back. We'll make it through this, son."

I unconsciously smile at his words. I guess Anderson has become something of a father figure to me, huh? He's trained me into becoming a warrior; spoke with me when I had something bothering me; and he was their to help whenever I needed it. Hell, if it wasn't for him, I never would have unlocked those files about Lunar and I.

Yeah. I owe him quite a bit, "Thanks Anderson, for everything."

He opens his mouth to reply, but our comm's crackle to life, "Sanders, we've cleared out the three patrols guarding the shuttle's entry point to the roof. You're clear to move in, but you have to do it quick."

I bring two fingers up to my comm unit, "Roger that, Staff Sergeant. Cortez, bring us down!" He responds with the usual 'aye sir', "Have you got the enemies radio channel yet?"

"Hillary has it, but she needs some time to expand the signal to our comm's."

"Copy that, tell her to make it quick!" My hand goes down as I address my other squad mates, "Alright, you three, stay on your guard and watch your fire sectors! We can't afford any mistakes!"

The shuttle door opens and it's only now that I realize there's a thunder storm going on. That'll probably mess with radio contact, or maybe not... We each throw ourselves off the shuttle and Pierce, along with Anderson, immediately go for the venting tunnels. Kim searches for a piece of cover along the rooftop while I get in contact with our pilot, "Cortez, I want you to get into a good spot to hide the shuttle; keep an eye on your radar while you do. If they send enemy air fighters, do not engage them, unless fired upon. Understand?"

He gives me a thumbs up while the shuttle begins to lift off. Once it get's out of sight (a courtesy of the storm), I signal for Kim to follow, and we meet up with Anderson and Pierce at the vent.

Well, let's see how this goes...

* * *

><p>I kick the vent door open and drop myself down. Quickly, I take my Carnifex out and scan the area for any hostiles.<p>

Nothing. Not even security cameras... It looks like were in some cargo room. I holster my weapon and silently tell them to come down. Kim drops first, me assisting by catching her by the waist. Once she's situated, she takes out her Locust sub-machine gun and moves to a different part of the room. Anderson drops down next, but I don't think he needs my help with it...

We both move in unison over to the northern part of the room, which is where the door seems to be. Maybe now would be a good idea to check in to everyone, "This is Sanders, my team and I have made it inside, but we ended up in what seems to be a cargo room. The door is locked and we can't get out. Pierce, how close are you to the control room?"

"Not too far, sir. I think I'm about 2 mike's away," He informs.

"Copy that," Alright, now let's see how the Staff sergeant's doing, "Gavin, Status report!"

"We're still alive and kicking sir," He reports, "Hillary managed to crack it, she's sending you the radio channel now," I look towards Anderson and Kim as they both bring up there omni-tool. After a few clicks, they check their comm units and nod to confirm Gavin's statement, "We've managed to take out a few more patrols, but according to some of their small talk, they have snipers planted around the high cliffs surrounding the base."

Hmm. "Cortez, see if you can spot those snipers and pin point their location. Your going to be Gavin's eyes and ears out there, alright?"

"Roger that, Sanders!"

I open my omni-tool and bring up the radio channel Hillary sent us. There! I should be able to hear everything they're saying now.

"I found the vent!" Whispers Pierce, "There are a few guards watching the monitors, but I can take them out easily."

"Do it quietly, we don't wanna be discovered too soon, do we?" I reply.

All I hear is a bit of silence, a creaking of a vent panel opening, and then some silent screams from the enemy. Nice touch, Pierce.

"Okay, I'm in, and I've got access to all systems. I'm locking the door to this room and I'm disengaging the lock on yours."

"Copy that, Sanders out!" After a few seconds of waiting, the panel on the door in front of us turns green. I look at my companions, and take out my Mattock. Anderson get's on one side of the door, as Kim takes the other. I stand in front, gripping my rifle's handle tightly. The parts on my helmet begin to connect into one piece as I press the panel on the door...

It opens faster than I thought, but it doesn't stop us from storming out. We each watch our own fire sectors as we form our own triangular formation. My side looks clear, but I can't be too sure... There are different hallways leading into this one, so anyone could just come waltzing by and see us. Hmm. Maybe we could use those crates for cover. I get each of their attentions and point them to my direction. First things first, we have to find out which way to take, "Pierce, can we get some directions here? This whole place is like a maze."

"Sure thing, I'm sending it your way, now," I open the file on my tool and download it to the HUD on my helmet, "I have access to the emergency doors in that 'maze' of yours, so if you run into something you can't handle, I'll block them off for you."

Great, that sounds useful. Now, it looks my HUD is pointing to the side Kim was looking at, "Anderson, you take point, I'll cover the six," he nods and starts moving in that direction. Kim follows up after him and then I do the same. It looks like we got ourselves our own patrolling movement! Anyway, we keep the same pace up for what seems like ten minutes, and yet, still no contacts. Actually, if it weren't for Gavin and Hillary taking out the ones from the outside, I'd say the whole facility is empty! This seems a little too easy...

_"Sir, we're not getting a response from 13 different teams watching the outside sectors, should we send reinforcements?"_

Just when I thought things were getting boring... I raise my hand up, halting my squad in place. We each move quickly to cover, just in case they happen to pass through here.

_"No, don't send any more teams out in the storm, their probably dead anyway. Vallosh, I want you to take two teams and sweep the entire base! Everyone else, I want protecting that Intel! I have a strong feeling we have visitors..."_

_"Yes sir!"_

Shit. Well, we're outnumbered, outgunned, but we are most certainly not out matched! Not yet... I open my comm to give further orders, "Damn. Gavin, Hillary, tighten up your hunt! I don't want any of those patrols getting back in, minimize their guys! Pierce, I want you set up more firewalls to your door, and assist us in any way you can! Cortez... Keep doing what you're doing, but do it discreetly."

I get some form of acknowledgement from each of them and open the action on my Mattock. I don't know why I did it, but I did... I signal for Anderson to keep moving and he responds with a normal nod. We keep this patrol movement going for awhile, stopping at corners, checking flanking areas. We're also doing a lot of bounding movements; one moves while the other two covers their ass! Fatal Funnels can be a real bitch! As we reach the next corner of our tour, Anderson gives the universal sign for halt. Kim and I immediately take up a crouching position and watch our six, while my teacher checks the next corner. This is supposedly the hallway that leads to an elevator. Said elevator, just happens to take us over to the basement. Basement goes to the Giant tower thingy, and Giant tower thingy, contains the data. But I have a feeling it won't exactly be a walk in the park...

"What have you got?" I request, finishing my first scan of the area.

"Damn it," He silently swears, "We got three patrols downrange, and this is the only route that will get us to our objective."

"Okay, what do you suggest?" I ask

He pulls away from the corner and puts his back against the wall, "Well, there are no positions to use for cover, so attacking head on is suicide. If it's possible for Sergeant Pierce to lend us a hand, I'd say that would be our best bet."

Nodding, I open up my radio, "Pierce, is there anything you can do on your end?"

He crackles in response, "Well... There is one thing. But I..."

"What is it, Sergeant?" I ask, well, more like demand.

"Alright, yes, it is possible for me to get rid of them, but it would also kill you in the process," Now he's got my attention, "This gas is something so strong that even your suits won't be able to filter it. I'm actually surprised The Admiral put it in here..." He dozes off for a bit before continuing, "Anyway, I can't help you, your gonna have to find a way around them, or go through them."

Hmm. Interesting idea Pierce, "I like that idea," I comment.

"What? We're going to find a different route?" My Asian medical friend asks.

"Nope, we are going to attack them."

Anderson is the first one to react, but laughing silently, "Boy, staying with you is gonna get me killed."

An evil smile spread across my lips as I begin to explain what our plan is, "Just listen you smart ass. That hallway is about a good fifty meters and if I were to generate a biotic field, I would be able to shield us from their firepower, while you two raise them a little hell. They'll still be able to hit us, but it'll reduce the damage." I see Anderson's face look down for a split second before looking up at me. He doesn't look too sure that I can do it...

"You were right, Anderson," Kim says, "He is going to get us killed.

*Sigh*

"Just get ready..." I reply, annoyance present in my voice.

We get back into formation, while I holster my rifle and take a breather. Alright, clear your mind... Think about your happy times. Think about what brings you joy... Think about, Lunar! My biotic aura engulfs my body and in a short while, surrounds the three of us in at least 8 meters. Now, let's get this thing moving!

We round the corner, the mercenaries taking notice of us instantly, as we begin to fire upon them. Kim fires her pistol at a group of them, timing her shots to be careful with it overheating. I'm squinting my eyes due to the force the barrier is causing to my brain, but I see a Salarian's head get popped. His blood squirting out of it is a sure sign he's dead. One of the other merc's notice this too late, before another bullet penetrates his skull. Not sure if that one was Kim or not, but he's dead anyway.

Anderson moves a bit in front of me before throwing a grenade towards the bunch. The grenade lands at one of their feet... Before they end up throwing it back to us... Fuck! Then, Anderson does something I was never expecting: He shot it in the air! Now that's damn good Marksmanship! He fires a few more bullets to an Asari, but her barriers are still holding. This get's her pissed, but not before He shoots her with his Carnifex. This time, it ripped through her defenses and hit her in the shoulder. She goes down after that. Then, he focuses his fire on a turian, who seems to be holding a Grenade launcher. Anderson applies Disruptor ammo to his rifle before gunning him down. Fortunately, the turian fired the missile right before he died, so the rocket went upwards and killed a whole patrol in the process. Damn good, Anderson! Damn Good!

...

Urgh! Is it just me, or it getting harder to hold this barrier up? I can feel the gunfire from the mercs as they keep peppering their bullets against my shields. The pressure seems to be getting too much, I feel like I'm gonna... I'm gonna faint... Agh! I cringe as the barrier begins to start blinking away. No! No, no, no! I have to stay awake! If I let this go, we'll all die! But the pressure is too intense... There's only like 20 meters left, and I think 7 guys. I can do this! The barrier goes back to normal and I see Kim and Anderson work together to take out a sentinel.

I feel the blood drip down my nose, but I choose to ignore it. Kim switches to her sub-machine gun, and guns down one of the engineers. She doesn't seem to waste another second before focusing her fire on the next person. The bullets bounce around his shields before he returns fire. Anderson fires a concussive shot at a soldier, but because of his shields, it doesn't effect him too much. It's only now that I realize that it was just a distraction for Kim to get him with what looks like a neural shock. He goes down with a nice burn.

Shit... I can't... I can't hold it anymore...

The pressure becomes too immense for me to bare as I fall to my knee's, the barrier coming down with me. Before I know it, I can hear the bullets whipping past me and my shields depleting. Crap! I guess this is when I fail. I didn't even come close... Next thing I know, Anderson get's in front of me, firing his assault rifle at the enemy. My helmet's screen gets a warning display, saying that my shields have been taken out. Before I have time to react though, Anderson's shields go down too, but another bullet managed to hit his side.

"Anderson!" I yell as he drops to the ground. My protective instincts manage to kick in, and I can feel my biotics raging through me. Kim drags him to a wall as quickly as he fell. Which means I get to kill the last three. With a growl, I send a biotic throw at one of them, and their spine manages to make contact with the wall behind them. I swiftly move to my next target, pulling him in and jabbing a biotic punch straight through his stomach. His armor does little to support his existence as he bleeds out. The last one manages to get a few shots at me, but because of my biotic barrier, his luck runs short. One singularity and he becomes my rag doll! Not wasting anymore time, I equip my Carnifex and shoot him in the head.

My biotics leave and now comes the biggest headache I've ever obtained. Agh, damn it! I have to learn to not pass through my limit... Otherwise, people are gonna get hurt, just like Anderson.

...

Oh shit! Anderson! Realizing this, I rush back over to my team. Kim seems to be finishing her medical treatment, "How is he?" I ask.

"He should be fine," she states, "It was only a flesh wound. All he needed was some medi-gel and some rest."

Anderson, being persistent as he is, get's up off the ground, "Yeah, well, I don't have time to rest, so let's get moving!" He scowls as his hands desperately cling onto our medical specialist.

"Yeah, I doubt that," I peek a little down the hall, knowing that more of them are probably already on their way, "But he's right. Reinforcements could be coming this way as we speak, and I doubt he can make it to Pierce or Cortez by himself..." I bring out my Mattock and continue, "I don't like it either, but we have no choice, so the best we can do now is keep an eye on him."

Kim nods and gives me my wounded teacher to support. I bring his arm over my shoulder, and place my other arm on his rib cage. Slowly, we make our way over to the elevator, as Kim keeps an eye out for any hostiles. The door opens and we all crowd inside. Once we do, I place Anderson on the ground and open my comm unit, "Sanders to all personnel on this frequency, give me a status report!"

"Sir, this is Gavin reporting in! We've been compromised and are taking fire from various mercenary squads; we're not gonna live much longer if they keep this up, we've already taken a few hits!" Fuck! As if Anderson getting wounded wasn't bad enough! Cortez's tact-comm sputters next, "Sander's, it looks like they called for help. I'm detecting at least 6 or 7 enemy ships about 5 miles out. I have enough time to do a pick up and I need someone manning our shuttle's turrets!"

"Copy that, Cortez! Gavin, Hillary, fall back towards the shuttle!" I order. So much for a stealth mission...

"Aye, sir!"

"Hey, Michael?" Pierce mumbles, "I'm detecting a decrease on Anderson's vital signs, is he okay?"

I can't help but glance at my wounded comrade. Damn it! It may be a simulation, but he's still in danger... "He got shot on the left side of his abdomen. Kim gave him some medical treatment, so he's sterilized for now," Shaking my head, I ask, "How is everything on your end?"

"Well," He begins, "They haven't found me yet, they must think their guys are still in here. But I already have people passing by my door outside. It shouldn't be too long until they figure it out, so please, just hurry the hell up!"

"Sure thing!" I answer. I turn off my comm unit as the elevator comes to a stop.

Alright, I guess there's nowhere else to go, but onward...

* * *

><p><strong><span>Gavin's<span> P.O.V**

I fire two shots from my sub-machine gun, giving Hillary some time to run towards the LZ. The shots end up hitting one of them, breaking through his shields, but nothing more. Damn it! Michael better hurry the hell up. We don't have much time left before they call for more reinforcements... I fire a few more shots at the angry pursuing mob of mercenaries, but it doesn't seem to have an effect on them. Ah screw this! I pivot myself around and run after Hillary. I can feel the bullets impact my shields and the wind breaking by my face.

"Cortez, I can see the LZ, where the hell are you?" I yell into my radio.

As if on cue, the trees in front of me begin to sway like there's a hurricane in the area, "Can you see me now?" He sarcastically asks. There's no time to respond before the doors open and Hillary and I storm ourselves in, "I'm closing half of the shuttle's doors and bringing out the turrets, be ready!"

I holster my weapon and take off my helmet; damn thing was just getting in the way. Placing it on one of the seats, you can practically feel the shuttle vibrating. Whether it's because of the barrage of bullets being fired at us, or the engine, I don't know. The turrets come out and are placed along the center of the door. Before anything, Hillary goes into the cock-pit and begins to fly co-pilot, while I take my place in the gunner seat. Alright, time to give some hell!

Cortez turns the shuttle so that I can see the patrols, and I begin to open fire on the group. They shouldn't be getting too close to each other, but hey, you'll hear no complaints from me. I manage to hit a few of them and because of the firepower on these things, they blow up as soon as it hits them. Damn it! Hand me a sniper, I'll take out a whole platoon. Hand me a turret, and I get Jack shit! There's a reason I'm an Infiltrator! I ignore this thought and just keep firing at the group. Sooner or later, they all end up dead.

Getting more ammo to reload the turret, Cortez says, "All enemy foot mobiles terminated, ship combatants are arriving in ETA ten seconds!" I look towards the cock-pit and see the pilots moving their hands all over the dashboard. Oh shit, this is going to be interesting... As I finish loading the gun, the shuttle begins to move again, this time flying more above ground and more to the south of the facility. I gotta hand it to the kid, he sure knows pilot a shuttle...

The shuttle come to a halt, and the anxiety in the air is thick enough to cut with a blade. This going to get ugly! After what seems like forever, the ships finally show up. Just as Cortez had predicted, there are at least seven of them, and they all seem to be circling around us. Each of them are fitted with turrets and cannon on the sides. The models of their ship appear to be the ones used for speed mainly, so their defenses can't be that hard to take down. But that speed thing is going to make things difficult. Oh well, it can't be helped, so let's destroy these bastards!

Just as one of our cannons begin to fidget, two of their ships close in on us first. Okay, here we go! The shuttle jerks violently to the right, but I have no time to suffer the ill effects from it as one of the ships come into my sights. Your mine! I pull the trigger and the turret opens fire, mostly hitting around the general direction of the left wing. I have to hit the tail rotor if I want to take it down easily, but constantly moving around isn't helping! After a few more shots the wing breaks off and the turret recoils on the last bullet, hitting the ships tail. It spins out of control and crashes into the mountain, going up in flames. Now that's what I call a kill with style!

"Hang on!" Cortez yells.

Why? It's too late to realize before the shuttle turns upside down and I get flinged up to the roof. Okay, maybe wearing a helmet _was_ a good idea... Now the shuttle turns to the side and I slip through the hole in the door.

Oh shit! I manage to grab a hold of the edge at the last minute, and now I'm dangling on the shuttle. I can feel the rain patter against my face. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck! I'm going to fall, I can feel my fingers begin to give out. Damn it... My fingers slowly let go of the shuttle and I think about what to do next. Well, good luck guys... Suddenly, I feel something grip my hand and it's strong enough to pull me up to the point of the edge again. Bit by bit, I'm pulled back into the shuttle before it turns again. I land on the floor and look up to see that my savior was Hillary! Wow, she saved me... Yeah. I think I really do...

"Hey!" Cortez says, getting our attention, "Am I interrupting?"

...

We quickly get back into our posts and I start to load the turret again. I feel the shuttle fire off a cannon and hear it hit against one of the other ships. More gunfire is followed from that and Cortez maneuvers around them as best he can, but I think the rest of the ships have begun to pursue us. I buckle myself into my seat, trying to avoid a situation like last time. The shuttle flies upside down now, but this time it goes over the ships. I'll take this as my cue to open fire. Pulling the trigger, I send a series of bullets their way, taking out two ships by shooting their pilots. They, like the others, end up crash landing on the ground. Now this just leaves three more!

We get back to flying normally and the turret only has 18 bullets left. There are only 3 more fighter ships, if this turret runs out of bullets, then it'll be up to Cortez to take it down...

One of them catches up to us and manages to keep up with the speed, sometimes going even faster then our shuttle. All it can do now is follow us. Until it's turret points at us... Crap. Both me and his turret fire at the same time, but my mine quickly runs out of bullets. Damn it. Alright, plan-B.

"Cortez, put the turret back in place, I don't need it anymore," I order him.

"But..."

"Hurry!"

Without wasting another second, The turret get's out of the way and I equip my sniper rifle. Okay, now I have to time this just right, and I have to get it on the perfect angle. If I miss this we are screwed! Carefully, I push my rifle out of the space, and lean into the stock. The winds brushing hard, and thunder can throw my aim... I adjust the dial and aim 3 feet in front of the pilot. Okay, now aim a little above the head... Fire! I squeeze the trigger and smile as blood from the merc's helmet gets smeared all over the windshield. I hit 'em!

Right before the ship descents, their ship just happens to hit our engines. Damn it! Our shuttle slowly begins to slow down and fall with the fighter ship. Why does karma have to be such a bitch?

Red lights flashing throughout the shuttle has disappeared once the VI announces, "Emergency fuel cells, activated!"

Alright, go Cortez! Fuck you, Karma!

But we still have 2 ships left don't we? Our main pilot then stops the shuttle and turns it sideways, giving me a clear sight of the two fighter ships. Why is he deliberately showing me them? I turn to him and he just nods to me.

Oh! Well, alright then. I smile sinisterly before lining my cross-hairs on the first guy, and then on the second, once I hear the blatant explosion from the first ship.

*Boom*

The sound of the bullet escaping the barrel, echoes beyond the mountains, and that evil smile stays on my lips as the smoke continues to leave the rifle.

My radio unit comes to life, followed by an out of breath Michael, "How's... How's everyone doing?"

I put my rifle on my back as the shuttle door closes completely, "Sander's, we're fine. Hillary and I made it to the shuttle and we've already taken out those fighter ships. The enemy foot patrols outside have been taken cared of as well."

"Good work, guys! We're getting close to the data. It should only be a matter of minutes before we-"

"Shit! They found me!" Pierce cries out.

"Fuck," Michael swears, "How many are there? Can you hold them off?"

"Negative! I'm detecting possibly around thirty heat signatures massing around outside my door. They're going through my security codes faster than I thought! I need help!" His radio goes dead after that.

"Roger that! I'm sending Anderson and Kim your way, just hold on!"

Well, this is about to get bad for them...

* * *

><p><strong>Pierce's<strong> **P.O.V**

Damn it. Damn it. Damn it! How the hell did they find me? I must have been paying too much attention to Michael and his team... Not that it matters now anyway. I have to hold them off until they get here, but I can't issue any more security codes before they hack into the other ones. How many people do they have working on them? Crap, I have to think of something else. Let's see... They're gonna get in here eventually, so maybe I can take them all out at once with some well placed C-4. But then I'm gonna need a way to sneak past them... Wait! I open my omni-tool and find the file Kim gave me while we were on the shuttle. I open it and see the app that came along with it. It's an invisibility cloak!

Her words echo in my head: "_Here take this, it's something even better than medi-gel, but only use it in case of emergency, okay? This is the only one I got, so don't use it right a way."_

God, Kim, I fuckin' love you right now! I add it to my powers list and begin to focus on the C-4. Alright, It's gotta be hidden, but it also has to hit everyone in the room... I'll put one behind the crate right here, so if the explosion doesn't kill them, the crate will. I'll put one on each side of the door, and I'll put one behind the computer. They won't even know what hit 'em.

The sounds outside the room stop and the light on the door goes from orange to green. Oh shit! I throw myself behind cover and bring out the cloaking program. Just as the door opens, I disappear out of thin air. A four man squad enters the room, clearing it out, while I make my escape. I step outside and realize just how many there are. I knew there were 30 heat signatures, but up close, this looks like a damn army! I have to turn sideways a few times to shimmy past a few people, but I got behind a piece of cover at the corner of the hallway. Staying in my cloak, I take out the detonator from one of my pockets. Alright, say hello to the virtual flames of hell for me...

**BOOM!**

The explosion feels like it shook the entire facility, but it took down the the squad inside, and the fire burned down five more. Now I feel like a bad-ass!

Right. I should use this time to get the hell outta here while they're still in shock. I turn around, moving towards the next corner, and-

Agh!

I get sent flying to the ground, which then turns my invisibility off. Oh crap... I take a glance above me to see who knocked me down and a smile began to creep upon my face.

"Anderson, Kim!" I exclaim, quietly. Anderson helps me up and that's when I catch the wound on his side that Michael told me about. It looks like a pretty nasty wound, and he looks like it didn't even phase him, "When I bumped into you guys, I thought I was done for."

"Yeah, well, if we don't get a move on, that's gonna change," Anderson points out.

"Right you are," I reply, "Let's get outside, they're gonna be searching these halls in no time, and they already have other mercs coming this way."

Kim smiles, "It's good to know that the stuff I gave you worked."

I smile back, "Yeah, thank you for that. I'll make it up to you somehow." Her face begins to blush as my smile get's even bigger.

"O-ho-ho-Kay, we can save this conversation for later can't we?" Anderson bluntly asks.

We both nod in agreement, getting a little flustered at the same time. With this, we continue to move down the hallway. The route were taking will lead us to the outside in no time! We aren't taking our sweet time about it, but we're still checking our corners, watching each others back's. We can't afford to be careless during this time. Alright, were almost there, just past this corridor and we'll be out. We round the next corner, and unfortunately run into an enemy squad. And a...

YMIR Mech? Oh Fuck me!

We all have the same idea and take cover behind some debris, or just on the corner of the halls. Damn it, this is just exactly what we needed right now, isn't it? Fuck! The door is _right_ there! I guess we're gonna have to take these guys out then huh? Okay, our first point of interest is to take out that Mech, so we'll need to take out's shields first, then deal with it's armor. *Sigh* Here we go...

I come out of cover and send an overload at the mech's shields. This stops it for a while, but now it seems it placed it's attention on me. It looks at me and fires it's Gatling gun, breaking through the cover I was hiding myself in. Desperately, I run in Zigzag's trying to throw it off as another overload hits it. One more from me takes them out completely, but _now_ it looks pissed! This can't be good! It shoots two missiles, one at me, and one at the other person who shocked it. On pure adrenaline, I jump out of the way and the explosion sends me flying back. I wasn't able to get my footing, and I end up tripping and roll towards the wall. Another explosion occurs and that's when I realize the Mech is dead. Or... Terminated?

Wait a minute. There were two rockets... I search my surroundings and see Anderson firing away at the mercs. Wait, if he's still standing, than that means... My eyes find her. Kim... I don't know what get's me up, but I rush towards her, and I'm by her side in less then a few seconds. Her armor is burnt to a crisp, and she's losing a lot of blood. No, come on, your not gonna die here. You're going to live through this! I don't know why I'm getting so worked up about this, I'm gonna see her again soon... But, I can't...

The sudden realization comes to me that there is still a fight going on. So, I take out a pack of medi-gel and put it on her wounds to stop some of the bleeding. I have to finish the fight before I can save you, Kim. I get back into cover, trying to get Anderson's attention. His rifle overheats and he pull's himself back into cover. His eyes turn to me, and I make a hand signal for a grenade. He frowns, giving me a look equivalent to saying 'are you sure?'

I nod in reply. I have a plan... He takes a grenade off of his belt and throws it into their group.

Wait for it...

One of them picks up the grenade and begins to throw it. NOW! I sneak my way out of cover and Overload the grenade, killing all of them in one blow. Alright, now that that's over... I holster my weapon and jog back to Kim, while Anderson secures the area. Getting to her side, I slide one hand under her back and the other behind her knee-caps. Slowly and gently, I lift her off the ground and move towards the exit with Anderson. I can't help but think that if he wasn't here. We would be...

"**Five minutes to detonation..."**

Wait... Five minutes to _what_?

We storm out of the facility and keep moving as far away as we can. While Anderson attempts to contact Gavin and Cortez, I get a call from Michael, "This place is going to blow up?" He practically screams into my ear, "What the hell happened?"

"I don't know. The terminal I was working on must have had a defense mechanism. Once I blew it up, it probably triggered it."

"Well, do you have any idea of how big it would be?" He fearfully asks.

I gulp down hard, "If we're all not out of the vicinity before the bomb goes off, we'll all be turned into ashes in milliseconds..."

He stays silent...

"Fuck me..." He swears quietly, "Get to the shuttle. Once I download the data, I'll send it to you."

"What? No! We're gonna get you outta there!" Is he crazy?

"Look man, I'm not seeing anymore options here. If you have a better idea, I'm all ears..." His voice sounds weak.

Damn it... Wait! My omni-tool still has control of some of the bases operations! "I can use my omni-tool to find a path for you."

He pauses before responding, "There's a bulk head at the tower where they're keeping the data, can you try and unlock that?"

"Hell yes," I reply, noticing the shuttle coming into view, "Just make sure you're there before the damn thing goes off!"

"Copy that, over and out!"

Crap. Looks like I'm not finished yet... I step on to the shuttle with Anderson following close behind. Once we're inside, I place Kim on one of the seats in the back and sit next to her. Hillary moves to Kim and is tending to her wounds. I have work to do...

* * *

><p><strong>Michael's P.O.V<strong>

I rush through the hallway, not giving a damn about whatever was happening around me. All I have to think about now is that data, and the time limit. Damn it, why did Peirce have to trigger the damn self-destruct system anyway? Does he not realize I'm by myself here? No, he had to do it for the right reasons. My speed increases as the VI announces the 3 minute mark. Shit, I gotta hurry! The door comes into view and I quickly open it with my omni-tool. It's better than just doing it manually and having to stop.

I enter the room, the only thing able to stand on is a catwalk, leading to something in the middle of a deep chasm below. This is kinda creepy actually... I shake my head and shrug, I can't let it distract me. The more time I waste, the less chance we have of winning. It all depends on me now...

I jog through the catwalk, ignoring the fact that it begins to sway. I honestly couldn't care less right now. I reach the mid-point and see the terminal with the data inside.

**Two minutes to detonation!**

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I heard you at the last warning! I open up the terminal and begin the download procedure. Okay, now it's only a matter of waiting. I take a defensive position and observe the room. Everyone thing looks boringly the same. Completely unremarkable... Except. Wait, who's that? I squint my eyes and lean in a little closer to get a better view.

No. No, it can't be... Lunar? She smiles at me, before the room begins to rumble. My attention get's placed on the now crumbling tower. The countdown must have already started the explosions, I have to get the hell out of here! I turn back to her, but she's gone.

What the fuck...?

Am I... Going mad?

Before I know it, the bulk head above me opens, and so does every other door that leads to this room. Men begin to pour out of the doors like cockroaches, and I see the shuttle up above me. The mercs open fire at me, not caring about how the place is going to blow soon. This must be some very important data... I crouch down and set up a biotic barrier around me, protecting my shields from getting depleted. Gotta have a second line of defense, you know? They continue to fire at me, but they don't seem to think about my friends shooting them from above.

I see at least three head shots and 4 normal bullet fire take place on the enemies in front of me. One manages to escape their rain of bullets, but I end up taking him out with my Carnifex. The other three doors begin to practically shit out more men. Fuuuuuuck! Why won't this download finish already?

**Ding!  
><strong>

Oh, fuckin' finally!

**20 seconds to detonation!**

Crap!

I get the data onto my omni-tool as the walls in the chasm begin to give out, "GO!," I yell into my radio. The shuttle begins to move and I jump off the railings. Okay, time to fly outta here! I tap my boots together and the thrusters on the bottom blast off! I feel the rush of power being pushed against the bottom of my feet, as I arise from the dark empty chasm. The shuttle's only a few feet away from me, I can make it! Each second I inch closer and closer. The door to the shuttle opens and I see Anderson pop out, reaching his hand out to me.

"Michael, Take my hand!" He cries out.

I keep getting closer, "I'm trying!" Almost there... "I'm... Trying!" I feel my hand grip his forearm tightly and he pulls me in with all his force. I get thrown into the shuttle, getting inside in one piece, "Close the Hatch!" I yell.

The shuttle door closes and blasts off out of here. The explosion commences and shakes the shuttle, violently. But we're out of the area before the aftershock has any permanent effect on us. I release a huge breath and smile at our victory.

They are all staring at me, waiting for me to say something. So, I give them a huge grin and say, "We did it."

Everyone else smiles along with me, enjoying our success. Next thing I know, everything goes black again...

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Like I said, this chapter is Looooong! It's not as long as Chapter five, but only by like 1000 words :/ But still, I am really, really sorry for making it so long :'( It was originally supposed to come out last week, but I had other stuff I had to do...  
><strong>

**Anyway, what did you guys think of the test? I worked really hard on it, and I think it turned out all right... But I'll let you guys be the judge of that :) I'll tell you one thing, I'm not writing a chapter that long again anytime soon. You can be sure of that... I think the regular 3000-4000 words is just fine, right?  
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**I don't really have any recommendations today, so you'll just have to wait till the next chapter.  
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**Anyway, until next time, Laterz!  
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	16. Any Plans for The Future?

**A/N: Hey guys! How's everyone today? Alright, I hope :)  
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**Okay, so I already have the next three chapters planned out and then Michael is going to be off towards the Citadel, for reasons yet unknown... Unfortunately, the three chapters will be mainly dialogue. You know, Character development, forgive and forget, that kind of stuff :P But I won't explain everything now :/**

**This is something very little, but I had to start putting the damn title on the center instead of putting it on the side with the underline :/ It just feels weird for me to do that though :(  
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**Anyway, I hope you enjoy! :)**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 16: Any Plans for The Future?<br>**

My pod opens and I grab the sides, lifting myself up and gasping for air. Once I'm sitting in an upright position, my hand clutches my head, feeling the headache I had during the course of the mission. Who would have thought that would be carried back with me? It's only now that I realize my hand is touching bare skin, and the suit I had been wearing has completely disappeared. Oh well, it was great to use while it lasted. I hear the mechanisms of the other pods opening and Pierce seems to be the first one up. He doesn't waste a second getting out of his pod and rushing towards Kim's. Oh right, she got hurt! Anderson too!

Slowly, I throw my legs off the pod and soon gain footing on the ground. My head still hurts, but it's enough for me to resist having to hold it all day. It doesn't take long before me, along with everyone else, to meet up with Hackett at the center of the room. Well, all except Peirce and Kim, who seems to be sitting on her pod with his arm around her shoulder. She must have taken quite a nasty hit for him to be acting like that... I turn my attention to the Admiral, as he walks away from the terminal with a slight smirk.

"Congratulations! You passed the test, but only by the skin of your teeth," he clicks something on his omni-tool and the vital signs of all of our suits get displayed on the big screen, "Two of your squad-mates were injured, and you almost died from that explosion. Serviceman Kim Trang almost flat lined at the last second..."

She was that close to death? I can't help but glance back at the pair. Kim has her head down, and she looks to be breathing heavily. Peirce almost looks defenseless from here, like a lost puppy... She could have died, because of me... Damn it.

"Even so, you did manage to get the data and complete the mission. All of you did an excellent job in there. You Improvised, Overcame, and Adapted, like every Marine should!" He exclaims, "Cortez, that was some damn good flying! Now I know that those test results weren't just a fluke. Staff Sergeant, when you took those choppers down with your sniper rifle, that just shows how your able to think on your feet when the time arises. Anderson, I'd expect nothing less from you," He puts his hands behind his back and eyes the two people absent from the little group we have, "All of you are dismissed! Take Serviceman Trang over to the med-bay. You have the rest of the night off to yourselves, and you've earned some shore leave."

Okay, well I guess that's something... I turn towards the direction Peirce—

"Except you, Michael. I'd like to have a word with you..."

Never mind... I face him again and nod as my friends trail each other out of the room; Hillary and Peirce supporting Kim by her shoulders. In a few silent seconds, they're all gone, and it's just Hackett and I in the room. The room is ominously quiet, and I can't tell what kind of look he's giving me. His facial pattern is just like it always is: at attention.

"What do you need to speak with me about, sir?" I ask, breaking the menacing silence.

He leans back on one foot, "You're not in any sort of trouble, so don't worry," Oh, thank goodness! "I just wanted to discuss with you on what you want to do next."

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"Well," he says, "You passed your test. Your training with us is over and I should be getting the 'okay' from your next point of training soon, but it might take some time."

I give him a questionable expression, "Okay, so what?"

"You've proven your worthy of being a leader, so what I want to know is, what is it that you want to do once your shore leave ends?" He asks.

Hmm. I think I have an idea... "I want to find a Batarian named Balak, one of the pirates that invaded Mindoir." I gulp down hard, thinking about that night, "I've got a score to settle with him."

He looks away for a moment, but then nods, "During your shore leave, I'll do the best I can to locate his whereabouts, but I can't promise you anything."

Yeah, I figured as much. I shake my head, "I understand, sir, and I appreciate that." Suddenly, the memory of Lunar in the simulation crosses my mind, "Hey, Admiral?"

"What is it?"

"Why the hell did you do it!" I ask, darker than I had intended, "Did you think I'd be distracted by it and let my guard down? 'Cause that's one helluva way to get my attention!"

His face looks puzzled, but also a bit annoyed, "What the hell are you talking about, Sanders?"

I pointed towards the pods, "Before the bulk head above me moved, I saw Lunar in one of the openings in the chasm! Now what kind of person would—"

"Lunar?" He questions, "Your sister that passed away?"

"Well, yeah, who else?" I demand.

He frowns, "Michael..."

"What!" I yell.

"I didn't put anyone you know in that simulation..."

* * *

><p>Am I... Am I going mad? I—I mean... I saw her, I know I saw her! She smiled at me for the briefest second...! Or, maybe... No! I <em>KNOW<em> I saw her!

Hackett wasn't too pleased about the Accusation I gave him, which is understandable, but it was necessary to do at the time. He showed me some of the video footage running the last few minutes of the mission,made sure it was specifically placed on me. After a while of just watching me hide, I— well, me from the video, stood up and gazed at a certain direction. That's when Hackett turned the camera 180 degrees around to get a look at what the other me was staring at, but, there wasn't anything... After nothing showed up, I desperately began to look around, searching for evidence that she was truly there. Thirty minutes of my face glued to a terminal and not a damn thing! I looked like a fool. After that, the Admiral suggested I get some rest, and that I was only imagining things. That the simulation can have some side effects that were yet unknown.

But, I'm so sure that that was her...

Then again... Once I looked back at her, she disappeared out of thin air, so maybe it was a hallucination.

Yeah. I'll just stick with that...

You know what? Fuck rest! I think I'll go check on Kim; see how she's doing.

I turn the next corner and pace forward through the hallway. There really isn't anyone around, it must be pretty late for that to happen. I reach the end of the corridor and hit the panel for the infirmary door to open; it whooshes up, hitting me with a small gust of cold air. Taking my first steps in, the sound of a monitor beeping becomes present, and Brandon is just sitting there, staring at her right next to the bed. He acknowledges my being here with only a quick glance, before focusing his attention back to her. I can't blame him though... Just the sound of the monitor makes me feel uneasy.

"Hey," I greet, walking over to them. I grab a chair off of one of the walls and move it to the opposite side of the bed, "How is she?"

He bites his lip and let's out a distorted sigh, "Well, the good news is she'll be fine. Doc says she will be up in a day or two," His hand clings onto her's, "But even that seems like such a long time..."

I wish I knew what to say, but it seems like nothing is gonna cheer him up...

"The doctor did something to make her got to sleep, then gave her some meds to deal with the damage. The hit she took from the Atlas during the simulation put so much pressure on her, her body began to shut down... If that had happened, she would probably be in a coma. But I guess we lucked out this time...sort of," He brushes a strand of hair out of her face, "If only I'd been faster, watching her; maybe this wouldn't have happened..."

"Pierce, you were going up against an Atlas, along with about a dozen other mercs. It wasn't your fault that she got hurt like this..."

He looks up at me for the first time since I walked in, "Of course it was... It was my job to keep her safe, and I almost got her killed— well, you know what I mean..."

His eyes begin to tear up. Man, this is the first time I've ever seen someone on this station cry, "No, you didn't. You think you do when you look back on it; but in that moment, when all the shit is flying, you didn't have a choice." He examines me carefully before looking away, "It'd be stupid for me to tell you to try to let this go, because I know I wouldn't. But it might be a good idea for you to stop blaming yourself for something you had no say in."

He looks at me again for a brief second, but then turns away. Well, I guess that's all I'm getting out of him for now... "I'm gonna go get a late night snack and then go to bed. I take it your staying?"

"Yeah," he says, "I want to be here in case she wakes up..."

I nod, and then walk out of the room. Before I even realize it, I'm in the elevator, heading over to the mess hall. I know how much Kim means to him, but he's gotta stop blaming himself. There wasn't anything else he could have done. But I know he won't stop. I know exactly how he feels, except I actually lost the person I cared about. I'll talk to him in the morning, before I book passage for Mindoir. Speaking of Mindoir, I have to patch things up with Jane first thing. I hate it when she's mad at me, and this one takes the fuckin' cake. Maybe I'll let her throw a few punches at me or something, let her blow off steam.

The elevator door opens and I make my way over to the cafeteria. The silence is kind of unsettling, but then again, I'm used to that by now. I enter the mess hall and find Anderson sitting at one of the tables, nursing a cup of coffee. I guess I wasn't the only one who decided to come here before bed, huh? My footsteps alert him to my presence, as I grab a peanut-butter and jelly sandwich, then sit down with him.

"You know, if we're going to keep doing this, we should probably make this a regular thing." He says.

I nod, chuckling, "I was just thinking that myself."

He smiles with a proud look on his face, "You did great out there son, I knew you could do it."

"What can I say? I'm just that awesome!" He scoffs, "But seriously, thanks. If you hadn't pulled me into the shuttle when you did, I might not have made it, and the mission would have been a failure."

He takes a sip of his coffee before replying, "Yeah, I know, and you're welcome." He looks around the room, as if searching for something, "So, did you listen to the audio logs?"

Oh, right. "Yeah...I did. It was more than I was expecting, that's for sure."

"I'll say," He begins, "Who would have thought that you were related to Jon Grissom?"

"Nobody, I think. But I guess he's my grandfather and Kahlee Sanders is my aunt. I have to admit, I'm a bit shocked how the people you told me about turned out to be related to me," I release a heavy sigh, "But still, it's good to know I have family left, even if I've never met them before."

"That it is," He agrees, "Though, that wasn't exactly what caught most of my attention." Same here, believe me... "It was the organization that scientist was working for: Cerberus."

"Oh, do _you_ know who they are?" I ask. "I wasn't able to find any data on them, or this Jack Harper fellow."

He shakes his head, "No, I've got no idea either; and _that's_ what worries me..."

"Yeah, tell me about it..." I take my first bite of my sandwich, savoring the delicious taste coinciding in my mouth, "So, what do you plan on doing after all of this? The test is over, which means we got nothing to do here anymore. I imagine you'll be going back to your original post or something?"

"I suppose so," he puts his mug down, the coffee already drained from it like a dry sponge, "The chain of Command never really get's tired of giving me extra orders..." a restless sigh escapes his lips as he pulls himself out of the table and moves to the sink, "Not like I can do much about it though. What will you do? I doubt you'll want to stay here after being 'imprisoned' for so long."

I laugh softly at his last comment, mainly because it's true, "You know me too well, Anderson! I'm going to spend a little time at Mindoir for awhile, visit a few old friends, and maybe see how the reconstruction is going..." I also want to check on Lunar's grave...

"Then what?" He asks.

I take one last bite of my sandwich and shrug, "Well, let's just see where fate takes me then..." I make my way over to the exit and wave goodbye to my instructor, "I guess I'll see you tomorrow, or some other time we meet."

He smiles greatly, and waves back. I sure am gonna miss him...

After that, I walk back to the elevator and went straight to bed, thinking about what will happen now that I've finished the first part of my training...

* * *

><p><em>Oh no...<em>

_Not this shit again! _

_Hold on. This one is a little different... I'm not in the woods running this time. I'm already on the street of dead corpses! Though, no dead bodies are in sight. Does that mean__ I look to my right, and find her staring at me with those cold, dead eyes. Her clothes are the same as last time. They're ripped and burned in a few places, along with some unwanted blood stains surrounding her clothing. Surprisingly, her dirty blonde hair glows in the darkness as I hesitantly walk towards her._

_This dream isn't going to stop unless I face up to it, and rip it out of my mind! I've had enough of this bull-shit! It feels like I've been walking for hours until I finally stood in front of her. _

_She opens her mouth to speak, "You're a liar! You killed me even after you promised you would protect me!"_

_"No!" I yell in her face, "I promised that to my sister! My sister that would never blame someone for doing something wrong on accident! The one who wouldn't hurt any living creature, even if it threatened her! My Lunar that would always have smile on her face, no matter what kind of situation it was..." my voice unconsciously becomes more menacing, "I don't know who the fuck you are, but are most definitely not the Lunar I know. You're not even close!" I add darkly, "Now get the fuck out of my dreams!"_

_She holds my stare for a few seconds and then materializes away. My breathing becomes soft as I look around once more, yet I seem to find nothing else. The emptiness of no life on the streets is unsettling. It's strange, but I sort of want there to be corpses around me; it would make me feel like I'm not alone... Then again, that might be worse.  
><em>

_I take a step forward, but when my foot hits the ground, the floor disappears; instead causing a blinding white light to take its place.  
><em>

_Shit! What the fuck is going on? Everything is disappearing out of thin air! The buildings are already gone and the background is fading as well. Before long, The bright force soon consumes me..._

_FUCK!  
><em>

"You did it, Michael..."

_Huh? I think before my eyes shut themselves.  
><em>

"You did it..."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Okay, seeing as how short this chapter was, I know some of you are probably wondering why it took so long for me to release this chapter. Well, school work can be a real biz-nitch at times :/ If you want to more beyond that, than it's because I had to make a soundtrack for my acting class and I had some...technical difficulties...**

**Anyway, what could that last scene mean? Could there be more to his dreams than he thinks? I promise, I'll let you know as soon as I find out ;P The next chapter will be him getting to Mindoir on the Einstein; so I sense another interactive chapter :) I feel like you guys (and myself) could use a break from Michael's objectives :/  
><strong>

**As for recommendations, I have just an announcement that "Tale of The Dragon Master" by: Anthony Rienzo has been changed to "When All That is Good has Fallen". "Mass Effect: The Hunt" by: CallsignReaper01 has also been changed to "Mass Effect: Recollection". Again, they're both great stories and by now, I'm sure you've read them :)**

**Anyway, until next time, Laterz!  
><strong>


	17. I'm Not a Loser

**A/N: Happy (late) Halloween!  
><strong>

**Alright, I have to inform you guys of something, but I think I'll save it for the end of the chapter. Other than that, there's not much to say, so enjoy :)**

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 17: I'm Not a Loser<span>

**SSV Einstein—3rd Floor—Crew Quarters  
>June 5, 2170<br>Audio Log 17**

Okay, well it's been a while since I've made an audio log, so I thought this would be the time. I've left the Arcturus Station and I've finished the Final test my superiors were worried about. It wasn't easy, but we passed it. We did however suffer one casualty; she got shot with a rocket. She survived it, but once we got out, she was in critical condition and had to be treated. Pierce stayed with her the whole night, didn't even sleep. I can't blame him though. I spoke with him earlier and he said she woke up for a brief moment, but it wasn't for long. Other than Kim, Anderson was the only other person to get hurt, and me if you count a raging headache.

After we completed the mission, Admiral Hackett and I had a discussion about what my next few goals were going to be. He asked me what _I_ wanted to do. It's something new, now that I don't have to follow everything I'm told...all the time. I told him I'd like to hunt down the Batarian named Balak. I don't know if I mentioned him in my other audio logs, but just to chronicle this in the files: my sister got shot during the raid on Mindoir and as far as I know, it was him. Someone horrible enough to shoot a little girl, has to stopped.

Anyway, once I finished speaking to Hackett, and visiting Kim right after, I went to the mess hall and ended up having a conversation with Anderson. Specifically, we had a chat about the locked audio logs from the professor's omni-tool. Well, they're not necessarily locked anymore, but you get the idea. Most of the files were just garbage, but I listened to all of them just to be sure. What I figured out was that I apparently have an astonishing amount of biotic potential in me, and Lunar had some kind of dark energy flowing through her. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to learn anything about her past that, but I digress. In my two day absence during the raid, I was implanted with a prototype biotic amp, created by the mad scientist himself.

To be honest, the Scientist didn't seem like that bad a person, a bit of a stalker, but not a bad guy. He was the reason why my father left us, but it wasn't his fault. He made the offer, but it was my Dad's decision to leave. Besides, because of him, I figured out that I still have family left. Turns out I'm related to Jon Grissom and Kahlee Sanders. I guess being in the Alliance is in my blood...

Now, that wasn't exactly the biggest thing about those V-logs. The Scientist was actually working for a group known as Cerberus. He was fired a few years back, but according to what he said, the organization is somehow connected to a man named Jack Harper a.k.a. the Illusive Man. No idea if they're connected somehow, but whatever. What's strange is that neither me or Anderson could find anything on 'Cerberus' or this Jack Harper fellow. They were the ones who killed the professor, not the Batarians. I don't know who they are, but I can tell you they'll be seeing me real soon.

I went to sleep after that, but I had another one of those dreams again. This time though, I began at the street instead, and the dead bodies were gone. I ended up telling off "Lunar" and then everything started to disappear. The whole setting around me became white, and once it consumed me, I heard her voice...her real voice. She said I, 'did it', or something. I haven't been able to stop thinking about it.

*Sigh*

Well, I guess that's all there is for now... End Recording.

**LOG OUT**

* * *

><p>I close my terminal and hear the door to Pierce's room whoosh open. I'm staying in his room because he decided to stay at the station until Kim woke up. I've lived in here before, so I figured it would be the best place to stay. Gavin walks in, greeting me with a smile.<p>

"Hey man, are you busy? What are you doing? Settling in alright?" Way to ask so many questions Gavin.

I get up from my chair and stretch, releasing a small screech as my muscles extend, "I was just making a video-log, it's been awhile since I've made one. Yeah, I've already finished unpacking my stuff, so I'm not really doing anything at the moment."

"Great," He says, "'cause I was wondering if you'd like to have some target practice. Interested?"

Smirking, I respond, "Sure, as long as it doesn't involve any sniper's. You'd destroy me at that one."

He crosses his arms, "Who says I'm only good at long range? Besides, even without it, I could still hit the target dead point in the center."

"Yeah well, I'll believe that when I see it," I get up from my chair and take a spot beside him as we leave the room and enter the elevator. Now that I think about it, I haven't really gotten the chance to get to know Gavin yet. Maybe I can make that change, seeing as how now is the perfect time to do it. "So, why'd you join the Alliance?"

He seems surprised by my sudden question but recovers quickly, "I honestly don't know...to protect other people I guess?"

"What, there's no other reason?" I ask, getting more curious by the second.

A glimmer of pain flashes through his eyes for a short moment, but then fades away, "Well, I had a brother, but he died from a disease. After that, I figured I had nothing else to lose, so I joined. Truthfully, a part of me wanted to die already, but it never happened..."

My ears focused on every word as he continued, "I don't know if I have to stay alive for something, if it's not my time yet, or...if it's just a habit."

The elevator grew silent and his words lingered in my head. I didn't know Gavin was this sad, I almost feel sorry for him. "Do you have any other family?"

He shakes his head and smiles, "No. But the Alliance is my family now, and I'd give my life to protect it."

A smile finds its way to my face, "Is the Alliance your Call to Arms then?"

Again, He raises an eyebrow, "I, uh...don't have one...

"Really?"

"Yeah. Seven years in the Alliance and I've never really had something to fight for."

Well, ain't that interesti— Hold on! Let's back this up for a second...

"Wait. How old are you?" I ask

He closes his eyes and rubs the back of his head with an awkward laugh, "I'm twenty-six...*heh heh*..."

My facial expression probably looks dumb-founded right about now, "Your twenty-six and you don't have anything to fight for?"

He shakes his head, "Wow," I say, "That's a first."

The elevator door opens and we step out. We're greeted with some of the crew members keeping their skills sharp, whether it's target practice or just sparring. The shooting range is in the center, while the arena for hand-to-hand combat is placed behind the Mako, and there's another behind the shuttle as well.

Gavin taps my shoulder and points me to a weapon cache. I nod and we move towards it, grabbing the weapons we think we'll be trying out with. I know I should be getting better with the sniper, but marksmanship just isn't my thing. I grab an M-8 Avenger, an M-26 Katana, and an M-6 Carnifex. Eh, maybe I'll try out with a Shuriken machine Pistol too. I holster the two pistols to my sides and carry the rifle and shotgun, each on one hand. The Staff-Sergeant is still gathering his weapons, so I go ahead and begin to set up at my station.

I place my Shuriken pistol on the bench, and my shotgun on the ground. I crouch down, making one of my knees stay on the floor, to secure my stance. I shoulder my rifle, lean into it, and aimed down the sights. Cautiously, I set the cross-hairs two bars under the center. Now...FIRE! The recoil of the rifle doesn't affect me and it hits the target. I would put on ear plugs or something, but Anderson told me I had to get used to all of the sounds. Actually, I believe his words were: "You gotta get used to all the goddamn noise during a mission!" I continue the same procedure as before and hit a few other targets.

"Okay," Gavin says, breaking my focus, "that's great and all, but you have to remember that you're using and assault rifle. Can you do it with a pistol?"

You doubt my skills, bro? I set my assault rifle down and with an incredulous smirk, equip my Carnifex. It's a bit harder for me to aim without the scope, and especially when I'm using a heavy pistol with a powerful kickback. I steady my hand, breathing slowly, and attempting to line up the sights with the target. After two or three minutes, I fire at the target and miss the center by a few notches. Damn it! How did I miss that? I grit my teeth and fire a few more rounds, however, I didn't get as close as last time.

"Fuck!" I swear loudly.

"Yeah, 'fuck' is right. That sucked ass." He comments.

I pout my lip, "Oh, like you could do any better."

In one swift motion his pistol seems to have appeared in his hand and three shots are fired. My head jerks towards the targets and I examine each of them. Oh my god! He got all of them right in the center! He didn't miss any of 'em! "The trick is, you gotta focus on only one target. Forget that there's about ten other people shooting at you for a few seconds and focus on that one enemy. Pretend it's only you and the one you're aiming for on the battlefield, and take him out before he takes you!"

"Well...yeah," I manage to breathe out, "but you shot those three in almost less than two seconds!"

He shrugs, massaging his right shoulder, "You get used to it after awhile, and then you become an expert. Then again, I've been like this since my first year in the military. I guess some people are better than others."

I frown, sighing as I look at the shots I fired, "Yeah, I guess so..."

"Come on," He says, "Let's try again." He takes out an M-3 Predator and shove's it into my hand, "The predator has better balance; It's lighter and more accurate. There's less recoil on it as well."

I look him in the eyes as I grip the predator. I pull the action back and take aim.

...

Once I got it in the right spot, I lick my lips, hold my breath, and slowly squeeze the trigger...

* * *

><p>"Damn it!"<p>

We're in the mess hall with just about every other crew member on the ship. Even the First Sergeant and Master Gunnery Sergeant made an appearance for some time. But then they went back to doing whatever the hell it is they do. Though, it does make me wonder where the hell Zabaleta is... Anyway, we've been sitting here for a good twenty minutes talking about each other and stuff. Then we decided to have a good ol' fashion game of arm wrestling after a Private said Gavin could kick my ass. So far, the odds have been in his favor...bitch.

"Best 7 out of 12?" I ask, trying not to sound pathetic.

He drinks some water and laughs, "Dude, just admit that you lost. You can't beat me at this."

"No!" I chuckle out, "You beat me at the shooting range, so I'm not gonna lose to you here. Now let's go!"

He releases a sigh and plants his elbow on the table. Then, I grasp his hand with mine and try to push it down. I put all of my strength to my arm and began to force his arm down. Come on, I've almost got him! Yes! I—

Suddenly, his strength doubles, causing my arm to get flung back in the opposite direction. The back of my hand hits the table and the smile he had before, doubles in size. God, what an asshole!

"Fuck!" I swear out loud.

He laughs and takes another sip of his drink, "It's like I said, you can't beat me."

"Yeah?" I question, "well mark my words: I _will_ beat you some day."

He shakes his hand in my face, "Keep dreaming kid."

I scowl at him. Why you son of a—!

"Hey guys," Hillary greets sweetly as she walks in. We both acknowledge her presence as she takes a seat on our table, "What's up?"

"Well, Richard here has been trying to make me look bad at almost everything." I explain.

He point's his finger up, "Not just trying, but succeeding."

"Anyway," I mumble with distaste in my voice, "What's going on with you?

She pushes a few strands of hair behind her ear, "I just got off the phone with Brandon."

Instantly, I sit up straight in my chair. This has gotta be about Kim... "How is she? Is everything alright?"

She leans herself forward on the table and smiles, "She's fine. She woke up just a few hours ago. Unfortunately, she didn't get to stay up for too long, but Pierce seemed really happy."

"So, nothing's wrong?"

She shakes her head, "Nope. In fact, she should be out of bed in a few more days. Once she has her strength up, I'm going to see if I can convince Master Gunnery Sergeant Gomez to go back and pick them up as soon as we're done on Mindoir."

"Well I guess till then, we just have to wait and enjoy ourselves for the time being." Gavin says before gulping down what was left of his drink.

Hmm.

A devilish grin forms on my lips, "If we have time to kill, then I'm sure you wouldn't mind one more challenge, would you?"

He chuckles and sighs at the same time, "You really want to keep losing to me don't you?"

Or maybe I just wanna beat you at something so you can shut the fuck up! I don't say that of course, but it's still nice to think of it. "If that's what you want to believe before I kick your ass, then sure."

The corner of his lip frowns before shaking his head, "Alright, fine. What's the challenge?"

I lean in closer, "A sparring match."

He laughs before noticing that my expression hasn't changed from being serious. After starring at me for a good ten seconds, he replies, "Alright, Sanders. You're on."

"Oh man," Hillary says, now just joining the conversation, "are you two are really gonna do this?"

I nod to her, getting up from my seat. I turn to the direction of the the elevator and beckon for them both to follow me. They do exactly that, and before long, we've reached the docking bay. The place is still pretty crowded, but not as much as before. The shooting range has only five people stationed there, and others are discussing things amongst themselves. We make our way to the mat used for combat training and start getting ready. The first thing I do is strap on a pair of gloves, while Gavin does a few stretches. The next thing I do is take off my boots, they only slow me down...

Once Gavin and I are done with our preparations, we each step on the mat and wait for Hillary to give the all clear. While my eyes are completely focused on Richard, murmurs begin to fill the air around us. Is everybody else watching us? I didn't want to take my eyes off of him; something Anderson told me kept reminding me like a foghorn. Even if the match hasn't started, you can never take your eyes off the enemy. He could get you by surprise, or easily get away. He also told me to never try and show emotion. If I'm scared, I'm obviously not gonna show it; it'll make me look weak. Something I learned as a kid on Mindoir. If you're weak, you'll be the prey to an entire galaxy.

"Begin!" Hillary acknowledged.

Instead, I became the Predator.

We both get into our fighting stances, circling around the mat like a clock, waiting for the other to make the first move. Let's see if he tries to attack first. I still don't how good he is and I don't like acting blindly. Or maybe I can just get closer and make him attack first...

I charge towards him, hoping he'll fall for my bluff. He reacts by stepping a bit to the left and swings his leg at me. He's so fast...! In an attempt to dodge his attack, I drop down to the ground and slide under his leg with my shins. My momentum pushes me past his body, and I slam my leg as hard as I can on the back of his calves, causing him to fall on his back. Before his back makes contact with the ground, however, he plants his hands and pushes himself backwards, gaining some distance between the two of us. Not bad, Gavin...

Once again, our eyes are having a starring contest, waiting for the next move to be made. I clench my fist and move in front of him. He seems to do the same thing on the last second and we meet at the center. He throws the first punch, but I dodge it, retaliating with a right hook. I feel my hand practically graze his cheek as he moves slightly back. He try's his luck with a kick, but I block it with my arm. Then I shoot my fist straight to his nose, landing a direct hit.

He stumbles back upon receiving the blow, shaking his head before wiping the blood coming down his nostrils. Damn, I feel so proud of that!

Wait. What am I doing? Now's my chance to attack him! I close the distance we gained from each other and start throwing more and more punches, sometimes throwing a few kicks here and there. He grabs my next punch, making me impulsively throw another one, which he catches again! I try to kick him, but he's got my legs locked somehow. It's not too long before he whams his forehead against my skull and I get sent back with a nerve wrecking headache. Okay, that one hurt like a son of bitch!

My hands are gripping my head like it's gonna pop. I don't even notice that Gavin's in front of me and that the next hit he attacks with, would most likely be my last. With all of his strength, he throws his next punch upwards against my chin, and I feel the ground knock the wind out of me, once I fell down. Damn it... Does this mean I lost? I open my eyes, only now realizing that they were closed, and see that he's offering a hand to help me up. But I can't take it. I just...I can't accept another defeat...I won't!

I grab his hand and pull him down, pulling myself up at the same time. I plant my self on top of his stomach, pinning his arms down with my knees, just like Anderson did to me. I put all of my strength into my hand and get my fist ready to hit him, but then, Hillary calls it.

"The winner is...Michael Sanders!" She exclaims, along with everybody else, who were actually watching the whole fight. The fight must've been better than I thought. But the way she ended it, it seemed like it was more of a plead than just ending the fight...

Still, though, I won!

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Alright, this has been the earliest chapter I've released in a while. It wasn't much, just some downtime with Gavin and Hillary, which then turned out to be a competition. Well, at least in Michael's head :/  
><strong>

**But now, I have something I want to run by you guys. Once S.H.T.G. is over, I going to make two new fanfic's revolving around Resident Evil, and The Walking Dead. Zombies pretty much... Now, I'm only going to start these when I finish this, which is still gonna continue as a four part series, but I need a few side projects to do as well. I just wanted to let you guys know :)  
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**Well, the only recommendation I have for now is: "Fighter and Leader" by: Ralph Jones. It's a Resident Evil 6 Fanfic with lot's of fluff. It's strange at first, but you can't stop reading once you've read the first chapter.  
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**Anyway, until next time, Laterz!  
><strong>


	18. This is What I Fight For (Part 1)

**A/N: Hey guys! I know it's been a LONG time without any updates, so I'm just going to do the explanation at the end.  
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**So yeah, enjoy! :)**

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><p><span>Chapter 18: This is What I Fight For- Part 1<span>

**SSV Einstein— 1st Floor— C.I.C.  
>June 8, 2170<br>Audio Log 18**

We're here. We're just about to touch down on Mindoir and I can already feel the intensity of Jane's wrath coming from here. I'd better get an Ice pack ready for use.

Anyway, the three day trip here was much shorter than I initially anticipated. Maybe it's because I had more things to do this time around, or how I hung out with Hillary and Gavin for most of the time. Oh, right, I forgot to mention that Gavin and I got into a bit of competition shortly after my last Audio Log. He beat me at Target practice, arm wrestling, hell, even rock-paper-scissors! But in the end, it was a sparring match that caused me to take the trophy and claim victory! It felt good to finally win and all, but Richard said he's never gonna offer me a helping hand ever again. Which I can't really blame him for, to be honest.

After the fight, we both had to get treated with some medi-gel, but it was nothing serious; a few bloody noses, headaches, and bruises. The next two days, we just...hung out I guess. I also got to spend some more time with the Commanding Officers of the Ship. I found it a bit strange how neither of them were officers, yet they still held control over the ship, but that's not really my call now is it? Besides, they're alright in my book.

But yeah, as I was saying: I've been hanging out with Gavin and Hillary for the past three days and I've also learned a lot about them. Gavin lost his brother a few years back, which is why he joined the Alliance. What baffled me was how he actually has nothing to fight for, no motivation to keep him going. He...he spoke of how he wants to die, but his time just hasn't come yet...He seems to be a very sad person, but keeps it all locked up inside. I never would have guessed him to be like that. Other than that, he's a huge wise ass; always thinking he can beat me at everything. Ironically, he went to college for a few years too. In general, he's a real stand up guy, though.

As for, Hillary, I had a nice chat with her the same night. She has a small case of insomnia and sometimes can't make herself fall asleep. Now, I don't have insomnia, but I still know what that feels like, thanks to those fucking nightmares. I haven't been getting any of them recently though... So yeah, all I wanted was a late midnight snack and ended up having a two hour conversation. She was born in a military family, going all the way back to the Vietnam War. Which is interesting because that war was almost 200 years ago. She's seen more than enough family members come back in body bags, but it's hardened her and made her stronger because of it. Her favorite weapon to use is the Shuriken Pistol, says that the recoil is far less than the tempest, and she can time her shots better. What interested me most was, not only is she an engineer, but also a biotic. If she hadn't told me herself, I wouldn't have believed it. I've never seen her use biotics, and she explained to me why. She says she doesn't use them too often because she doesn't want to get those shitty L-2 implants, due to the dire consequences that might occur. That's understandable. That's just something I guess I lucked out on...again. She has two siblings: a little sister and an older brother. Her sister is on Earth with her parents and her brother is stationed on Elysium as a Gunnery Sergeant.

Anyway, the doors are about to open, so I guess I'll finish this log here. It'll be great to see Jane again... End recording.

**LOG OUT**

* * *

><p>I close my omni-tool and walk over to the air-lock, where a few crew members are standing in line. Some of them are here for shore leave, and the others are planning on helping with the rebuild of the colony, I think. It doesn't really matter to me, now that I think about it. The door opens and we all step through the primary door. The VI's odd but soothing voice announces "<em>Decontamination in progress!"<em>

I haven't told anyone of my arrival, so my coming here is a complete surprise. Seeing as how that's the case, I should probably visit the police station first. I'm not exactly looking forward to facing my old friend just yet. I mean, I dubbed it: "Jane's Wrath" for a reason you know? The VI informs us that the decontamination cycle is over and the door opens as we all stumble out. The heavily scented air hits me at full force as I take a big nostalgic breath. Mindoir always was Eco-friendly. Because of the farming, they kept much of the wilderness around the cities and towns intact, for hunting and gatherings.

After enjoying the nice fresh air for a few seconds, I walked out of the terminal until I reached the directory. Of course I already know where everything is, but this is a good spot to stop and think of my first destination. Maybe I _will_ start with the Police station; but I need to make sure I have enough time to see Jane, that Mad scientist's lab, and most importantly, Lunar. Alright, the fastest way to the station would be through the Agriculture district. I put my hands in the pockets of my cargo's and begin my walk over.

It's not too long before I end up in the agriculture district and notice just how much damage had been done to most of the land. I remember how fucked up Jane's ranch turned out after the raid, which is understandable, seeing as how there was a big battle going on there. Much of the farm animals died too, either from the attack or the atmosphere of the situation. That god awful smell from the burning carcasses were almost unbearable. I shiver at the memory and shake it off as Jane's house seems to come into view.

I stop in place, unable to get myself to move. Damn it, Michael, man up! Talk to her for crying out loud, it won't kill you! Well, actually, now that I think about...No! Go talk to her!

Taking a deep breath, my legs slowly begin to move towards her house.

After what feels like an hour of forcing myself to walk, I reach her front door and knock on it. The sound of construction hasn't changed since I was last here, but it's obvious they wouldn't be done with the rebuilding in only a few months. Though I'll admit that they got a lot done during that time. Modern technology can be a real wonder. My daze is broken by the sound of footsteps coming closer from behind the door. Okay, let's see how this goes... I'm fully prepared to see her frowning face, but when the door opens, it's someone else who appears in front of me.

"Oh, Hello Mr. Shepard," I greet him. He looks smaller than I remember, but not too small. "Is Jane home?"

"Michael?" He asked, obviously shocked to see me, "Why do you want to speak with her? After what you said to her in Arcturus, I figured she'd be the last one you'd wanna talk to."

I scratch my head as it gets lowered a bit out of shame, "Well, it's actually a bit of a long story. I'm not exactly surprised that she told you."

His facial expression becomes sour, "You know, I may not have liked you much, even now I still don't, but she would always be worried about you everyday."

"Look, I know I acted mean to her, but I did it to keep her safe."

He rolls his eyes and scoffs, "Oh really?" I nod my head, "Then what were you trying to keep her safe from?"

A cold glare forms in my eyes, "If I told you, it would ruin the purpose of trying to keep her safe you idiot." His nose scrunches up, "Besides, if something were to happen to you, it would hurt her even more; so telling you would be a very stupid idea. Besides—"

He looks me up and down, "Listen, she doesn't want to see you anymore. So why don't you just run away like the little vagrant you are, and piss off!"

Fuck it. I've had just about enough of this, "Run away like you were gonna do before the invasion?" He remains still, "You were about ready to leave thousands of people here, and not even give a damn about what happens to them. Well, I'll tell you one thing: Karma's a mean bitch, because if it wasn't for me, those batarians would've ripped you a new ass-hole." Again, his expression remains unaltered. I get closer to him, "So seeing as how I saved your ass, why don't you start showing me a bit of respect." My tone gets darker, "Or are you too much of a pussy to admit that a, 'vagrant', was the one who saved you and your daughter?"

We stare each other down for a good thirty seconds before he breaks eye contact. I smirk for a slight millisecond before doing an about-face and walking off the porch, "Have a nice day, Mr. Shepard."

"Wait!" His voice calls out from behind me.

I turn back around as I see him running up to me, "What? Another insult?"

He waves his hand at me, "No, I apologize for...that. I owe you big time, and I practically just spat in your face. Not that you didn't deserve it, since you did make my little-J more depressed than I had ever seen." I clench my fist, repressing myself from things I'd like to say, but I think one out-cry is enough. "It's just...it's easy to forget what you did, looking back to the different things you did in the past. Nobody believed Brannigan when he told everyone what you had done."

I stayed quite and waited patiently for him to continue speaking, "Everyone thought he was trying to get them to sympathize for you because your sister died." A picture of Lunar's body dead in my arms flashes across my eyes, but I shake it off. "By the way, I'm really sorry about that. I didn't know her, but Jane would talk about her all the time, said she was like her little sister."

I lick my lips, "She was the most purest living being I'd ever seen. Sometimes, I couldn't believe I was related to something so...good."

A moment of silence comes between us before he breaks the ice again, "What did you wanna speak to my daughter about anyway?"

I sent a small glare at him, "Well if you had let me finish, before calling me a vagrant, you would have learned that I was going to say I was sorry, and that I wanted to patch things up with her."

He nods his head, "Okay then...She told me she was headed for the police station, Chief Brannigan has been teaching her some martial arts, along with some weapon training."

Oh yeah, she told me Brannigan was teaching her how to use the sniper that day. I guess she requested a few more lessons... "And you allowed it?"

"Your damn right I allowed it!" he responded, "After everything that happened here, I'd rather keep her prepared for anything than to have her feel helpless."

I silently snort to myself. Jane...feeling helpless? I never knew such a thing existed... I take another look at my surroundings before saying, "Considering all the damage it caused us, that might not actually be a bad idea..."

He frowns a little, "I guess we can agree on some things after all..."

I lean back on the heel of my foot, "I guess so..." The silence between us returns as the only sound to occupy the air are that of the construction sights. Alright, I can't stay here like this forever. "Well, I'm gonna get going. See ya later, Mr. Shepard." With this, I spin myself around and start walking to the police station. He doesn't say anything in return, or rather, if he did, I didn't hear him. In the end, it doesn't matter really.

But I have to say, that was the first time I've ever actually spoken to the guy. Well, without people shooting at us that is.

...

It could've gone worse.

* * *

><p>It didn't take long for me to get to the police station, because in a few minutes, I found myself in the front office, staring at how busy this place is. The police are a big part of the rebuild effort, so there's no doubt almost all the lines would be busy. My eyes travel around the white cubicles until they rest upon the sight of a woman sitting at the front desk. I guess I've got to talk to her about seeing Brannigan.<br>I walk over to the front desk and greet the lady with a smile. She returns my gesture with one of her own.

"How can I help you sir?" she asks in a kind voice.

I put my arms on the desk, "Yes, um, I'd like to see Chief Brannigan?"

"Well, he's currently very busy right now, can I take a message?"

I shake my head, "No that's fine, but if you could just tell him I need to speak with him, I'm sure he'll make the time."

She gives me a questioning look, while I just continue to look as polite as possible. She sighs before replying, "Very well then, but don't say I didn't warn you." She activates her omni-tool and presses a few buttons, "Chief Brannigan, sir? I have someone here that is requesting to speak with you."

_"Who is it?"_ he asked.

She looks to me with her eyebrow raised. Oh, I guess she's asking for my name... I lean forward, keeping my voice low at nothing more than a whisper, "Sanders."

She clears her throat, "A mister: Sanders, sir."

I can practically feel his eyes widen from the screen, _"__Sanders...? Clarice, send him to my office, immediately."_ His voice got a tiny bit happier all of a sudden.

"Yes sir!" She says back, before closing the chat. She looks at me, yet again, with another smile and points to a direction with her hand, "His office is down the hall, after that first corner."

I pass by her, walking towards the corner she pointed to, "Thank you."

"Anytime."

I reach the corner and turn on it, seeing the hallway she mentioned. You know, she was actually pretty nice, more so than most of the people around here. Then again, I don't look like I did a few months ago... Ah well. I wonder if she is new to the station, because I haven't seen her once since I was last here, and I've found myself ending up here quite a few times. Whatever, there's no point in dwelling on it. After walking through the hallway for what seemed like an eternity, I reach the door to his office. I wonder if Jane is around here... Well, if anything, Brannigan will know where she is.

Should I knock? Eh, might as well...

The pounding of my fist on the metal door echoes through a short distance. I hear his muffled voice respond in what I think was a: 'come in'. I press the green panel on the door and it whooshes open as I walk inside. My mouth immediately takes the form of a grin, "Well, if it isn't Police Chief Henry Brannigan!"

He gets up from his chair with the same grin I have. He shakes my hand and sort of pulls me into a half hug, where he's shaking my hand and patting me on the back with the other. This goes on for not even a few seconds before he speaks, "How you doin' kid? Alliance been treating you nice?"

I take a seat in his office as he sits back down behind his desk, "Well, seeing as how I look much better than I used to, I think you can take a guess."

He laughs, "So...what brings you back here?"

"After finishing my training test, I was rewarded with some shore leave. Admiral Hackett asked me where I wanted to use it, and I chose to spend it here," I say, with a smile plastered on my face.

His laughing continues as his smile gets bigger, "Oh yeah? Congratulations on passing your test then." I nod to him, and he continues talking, "So from what you have seen on your way here, what do you think of how Mindoir's been coming along, eh?"

I nod my head in approval, "Well the colony looked like shit before and after the raid. But now? It almost seems like I'm on a different planet completely! You've been serving these people better than any Governor ever could."

He laughs at my statement, his chest moving up and down with each chuckle, "Thanks kid, that means a lot coming from you, but you were the one who saved these people in the first place, gave them a chance for a future. If anyone, that title should be given to you."

You know, I myself still find it hard to believe what I did on that awful night, even if it wasn't my intention to do it. Everyone who knows what I did believes that I'm a hero. Because of it, I got training from the Alliance, became a soldier, made some friends, and...also lost one... Anyway, it changed my life for the better. Besides, I may have saved them, but that doesn't mean I care about them... I vigorously shake my head, "Sure, I saved them from imminent death and gave them a _chance_ for a future, but you're the one shaping it and molding it for them. This colony would be lost without you."

He laughs a bit more until the room becomes awkwardly silent and his facial expression changes dramatically, but yet, also somehow stays the same? I can't put my finger on it...

Leaning back on his chair, he heaves out a small sigh, "I take it your not here just to visit an old geezer like me, huh?"

My fingers begin to play with each other and a great weight gets dropped on my shoulders. His eyes stare into mine awaiting my answer. He does know what happened then... "An old geezer? Come on, you're not that old!"

He raises an eyebrow unfazed by the light humor I intended to use to break the tension. Ah, screw it. I never was good at making jokes and I guess I could use some advice... "Alright, there's no point in hiding it anyway. You know about what happened on the station?" He nods his head. "I didn't mean to hurt her, I just didn't want to get her in any danger.

"What kind of danger?" he asks, leaning closer to his coffee.

Damn. I can't tell him either, it might compromise him and his family. "I...uh...That's not important! The point is, I didn't want her getting involved. I couldn't risk the chance of losing her!"

His eyes widen with a cocky grin.

I correct myself two seconds afterwards just as I feel the heat go to my face, "Losing someone because of me..." I close my eyes and the memories of the raid flood back into my head. The bodies in the rain, burnt, shot, or beaten to death all around me. Then there's the one that stands out from all the rest... "It's happened numerous times to me before and I can't have it happen to me again, not while _I'm_ still breathing."

The Chief of Police nods his head in sympathy, "I know how you feel..." I look up and find him with a sour look in his eyes, "That night was all kinds of something. I've been around for a good forty-six years now, and I had never seen anything quite like that, well, not in person anyway." He licks his lips and his eyes tighten at the painful memory. "I remember when it first started, it was nothing but silence. I was still here at the office and my wife had come over with the kids for us to go out for lunch together. My second-in-command was about to take over my shift for me, until suddenly my daughter runs up to me saying: 'daddy, daddy! There's a big ship outside!' At first I thought it was nothing, her imagination. But then the other officers at the front started to get real busy." His shoulders droop down in shame. "The station was receiving over 400 calls at each phone requesting for assistance, all of which seemed to drop in 3 minutes... *sigh* There were so many of them... A team of the pirates came through the front doors of the station, but we got rid of them and barricaded all of the entrances in time."

I was so fixated on his story that I barely noticed him clutching his hands together. I had no idea he felt this way, I never bothered to ask him...

"After a big fuss between officers, most decided to go out for their families, despite my trying to persuade them, though I know would have done the same thing in their position. Anywho, the rest decided to stay until it was safe enough to go outside."

"A bit cowardice of you, don't ya think?" I mention with a small frown.

He glares at me before continuing, "Once we decided it was safe, we made a few small scout teams to search for any survivors that might have been in hiding from the Batarians, or gotten caught under the debris of bombed buildings. My wife wasn't too happy about it, neither were my kids, but I knew it needed to be done; these were my people after all..." He scratches the stubble under his chin before continuing, "So, I split fifteen officers, including myself, into five teams and we each took a different sector. After responding to a distress call in the ass ends of the colony, we came up with nothing. On our way back, we ran into you. The rest as you know is history."

Hmm. So that's how they wound up where I was... "I was locked into a private lab in the outskirts of the farmers market. I was out cold after trying to run away from some _Cobra_ members and I woke up a few days later to an immense explosion. Once I stepped out of my captivity, that's when I realized that we were being invaded." I massage my temple and shake my head, "The first thing I remember is...the bodies...The smell of burning flesh and death everywhere."

"I know how hard it was to bear with everything, and I can't imagine how hard it must have been for someone your age." He smiles, "But look at it this way, think about how much you've experienced these past couple of months; I mean so far, you and Shepard are the only teenagers I've seen to take in so much."

My face brightens for whatever reason. Just the fact that I'm being compared to Jane like we're normal again makes me a bit happier. It's true though, I think if any other teen we're to go through what we've been through, they'd go clinically insane. "Yeah, and to think that if the _Cobras_ never chased me off, my life would no doubt be much different than it is today."

"Oh, so you did say _Cobras_..." He murmurs.

My head immediately jerks up, "Yeah, so what?"

He stands up, an empty coffee mug in his hand and moves towards the window where some construction seems to be taking place. "A couple of weeks after you left, the local thugs began to join Alliances with _The Cobras,_ expanding their group since a lot of members from each gang lost their lives during the invasion. Eventually that's what they ended up calling themselves."

I cross my arms with a squint of my eyes, "There were numerous gangs, especially around this part of the colony. You mean to tell me that they all stopped hating each other and joined up?"

He turns his body away from the window, now facing my direction, "No. Not all of them joined together. In fact, according to the intel we've gathered, some actually _tried_ to fight against the damn 'snakes'. Though seeing as how much men, weapons, and salvage they've gathered since the attack, they might as well have ignored them like a fly on the wall."

"How many weapons would you say they've collected exactly?"

His head bows down a little in thought, "Well nothing as big as a rover, but enough fire-arms for a small army. No way to know for sure though."

I can see where they got the salvage from, but how did they get the guns? Not everybody who lives in here carries a weapon in the house, so they couldn't have stolen them... Raiding supply shipments maybe? No, the Alliance takes care of that. I doubt they'd be able to stand against them.

"Anywho," he says breaking my train of thought, "they're being taken cared of at the moment, so once this is over I can finally put my main focus on rebuilding...I hope."

"What do you mean: I hope?"

After putting down his coffee mug, he opens his omni-tool, looking through his data files for something. He finds what he was looking for and brings it up for me to see. It's a geographic hologram of sector 12 on Mindoir. "I sent a team to go investigate a possible location on where they could be hiding: a cargo facility. They arrived there approximately 5 hours ago." A red highlighter marks the front entrance and he continues speaking, "Officer Salmon informed me they would be in radio silence upon entering the complex, at least until they found a safe spot. There hasn't been a transmission since."

"Quiyona is a part of that team?" He nods his head, "Fuck. Alright, I'll go over there and check it out, but whatever you do, don't tell Jane."

He frowns, but in a more professional manner, "Jane was part of the team I sent with Salmon."

My hand turns into a tightening fist, "She what?"

Before I could shout at him, he begins to explain himself, "I've been training her for a good amount of time now and she volunteered. I said it was okay if it was alright with her father. She made a phone call and he said yes." He shrugged before continuing, "I was actually surprised when he agreed to it. I mean to train her is one thing, but to put her in danger like that?"

I shake my head, "There's no way he agreed to that, she probably just pulled up an old voice recording or something." Brannigan raised an eyebrow, "I stopped by her house just before I got here. He told me she went to the police station to train with you. He never said anything about her going on a mission for you."

His eyes widen and then immediately go back to his omni-tool. He clicks a few things and soon enough, a phone call is being made. "Hello? ? This is Chief Brannigan of the Mindoir Police Department." I move into the view of the camera so that I can be seen as well.

"Hello sir!" he greets back with a smile. His gaze focuses on me, "I see Michael has arrived at the station..." His smile becomes crooked before speaking again, "So how is Jane's training coming along? Is she going to be coming home soon?"

Brannigan turns to me with a worried look on his face, "No, I'm afraid she's not here at the moment."

He looks at us through the video chat with a puzzled expression smeared on his face. "What are you talking about? Where is she if she's not there...?"

The Chief doesn't waste five seconds before replying truthfully, "I sent her on an assignment with some officers of mine. She claimed she had gotten your permission to do so. Unfortunately, we suspect they may have been captured by _The Cobras_."

His worrying intensifies, "Captured? Well...Do you know where they are? We have to get her back!"

"I WILL." I assure him firmly. "I'm going to get her back, I promise you." I turn to Brannigan, "I'm going to get them all back."

He eyes me for a second before nodding his head. "I'll assemble a team to go with you."

I shake my head sideways, "No. No teams. I'll move faster and quieter on my own, and this way I'd only have to worry about myself."

Jane's father's voice cuts in, "How are you going to get them out? You're just one person!"

"Because I've already saved them before!" I retort back, "Didn't I make that clear in our conversation earlier? Besides, I've gotten much stronger now."

He bites his lower lip in consideration, "...Alright, fine. Just please, make sure you get her back to me."

I nod my head and he turns off the video chat.

The Chief of Police turns to me, "If you're going to be doing this, take the pistol in the locker over there, as well as the shield generator with it," He says, pointing to a box in the corner of the room. "There should be some disruptor rounds in there as well; it'll cut right through there shields." I walk over to the locker and take what's inside, strapping on the shield generator and holstering the pistol in it. I put the disruptor modification inside one of the pouches.

As I face the door ready to leave, my old friend stops me, "Michael! Don't mess this up. If you fail, then I'll have to deal with it myself and that will cause panic in the streets. We can't have that."

I look down before staring him in the eye, "I won't fail, you can count on that."

He nods his head one last time before I walk out the door and head for the exit.

Alright you god damn _Cobras_, you picked a wrong day to fuck with my friends. And now...

I'll make sure this is the last time you ever do...

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Alright, so this marks the beginning of the end for part 1 of Say Hello to The Galaxy. The Next chapter is going to be action packed and it's going to be a long one. I'm not sure when it'll be out, so I can't make any promises and I can explain why.  
><strong>

**The reason I haven't updated in nearly 7 months is because of the one thing many adolescents my age seem to hate nowadays: School. Now, it hasn't only been that though. I got a job at a tire shop, so I've had less time to write, and I also make videos on youtube now as well. For months now it's just been one project after another and It's pretty tiring :P **

**Originally I was supposed to have this chapter out in DECEMBER! (I know right?) But I was unhappy with how I did it, so I ended up redoing the whole thing, and I'm very proud about what the result was, though I wish I could have released it sooner :/ That being said, I have no idea when the next chapter will be released, so I apologize in advance. I _will_ be working on it, that much is without a doubt.**

**Okay, now that we have all of that out of the way, I really hope you can forgive me :)**

**Anyway, until next time, Laterz!  
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**P.S: If you want to check out my Youtube channel, my user name is Marcus Redfeild. It's the same as my user name here :P I'm still an amateur so I'm sorry if you find them lame. But hey, at least you get to see me scream like a little girl right? ;) **


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